case study

University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee Nearing a Decade of Distance Education Using Saba Centra Live Solution Overview Industry Higher Education Challenge Offer the dynamic interaction and collaborative learning of a classroom environment while expanding academic outreach to growing numbers of traditional students and adult learners in a range of programs Benefits Replicates a physical classroom environment, allowing for real-time interaction and sharing of information online, regardless of the geographic distance of students Accommodates guest lecturers and enables professors to lead classes from different locations anywhere in the world Supports more effective informal collaboration and social interaction among students Allows students to easily catch up on coursework from classes missed, or re-play lectures or discussions with no extra effort by the professor Solution Saba Centra Live A few years ago, a University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) professor got the opportunity to spend an entire semester in Germany. The professor was very excited; he had been looking forward to conducting additional research in his field of study, while having the chance to live abroad and travel. The problem was that he was scheduled to teach an engineering class that same semester. Fortunately, the University of Tennessee was one of the early adopters of Saba Centra Live, a solution that facilitates distance education in innovative ways. Since 1999, Centra Live has enabled UT students living hundreds of miles from the Knoxville campus to enroll in a variety of classes and fully participate in discussions, share information, and raise their hands in real time using Web-based tools without leaving home. In addition, it provides UT professors the freedom to travel even overseas and still teach courses.
Most people who use Centra Live really like it. If it makes their life easier and more convenient, theyre all for it.
Andi Damewood, Saba Centra Program Coordinator University of Tennessee
So with Centra Lives help, the professor used his desktop computer to effectively teach his class to students thousands of miles away over the Internet. As Web connection speeds have increased, professors can travel for a week or for an entire semester, and not have to miss class, said Andi Damewood, program coordinator for Saba Centra at the University of Tennessee. Centra Live effectively replicates a physical classroom setting for online students. Its very exciting. Reaching Out to Adult Learners One of the biggest benefits of implementing Centra Live at UT has been to simplify the lives of nontraditional students such as adult learners. According to Damewood, the earliest proponents of Centra Live were departments looking to reach out to more nontraditional students. In some cases, the results have been dramatic. Programs in the College of Business and in the School of Information Science have become so popular the schools have had to limit the size
case study | University of Tennessee
of the cohorts, Damewood remarked. We started with one nontraditional MBA program, and now weve added three more. Centra Live has certainly played a role in the programs growing popularity. One of UTs highly successful nontraditional MBA programs is its Physician Executive MBA (PEMBA). Since 1998, approximately 250 physicians from 38 states and a number of foreign countries have graduated from the program with needed skills ranging from business plan creation to managing organizational change. For the past three years, Modern Physician and Modern Healthcare magazines have dubbed UTs PEMBA the #1 MBA program exclusively for physicians. The vast majority of online interactive learning for the program is supported by Centra Live. Sweeping the Campus Today, UT has approximately 750 students and 50 faculty members representing a dozen schools and programs that regularly use classes taught using Centra Live. There are 50 nontraditional classes a week, representing hundreds of hours of online instruction. Damewoods group provides help-desk support 13 hours per day, plus on weekends. Because all Centra Live classes are recorded, students can easily review a professors lecture before exams, or go back and attend any classes they may have missed. This is very valuable for traditional and nontraditional students, and saves considerable time for professors as well. UT also has an initiative called Ready for the World, which promotes faculty and student learning and collaboration not only across the nation, but also around the globe. Centra Live is playing a key role in supporting this easily allowing guest lecturers to provide input from anywhere, and helping students and faculty work together in real time, regardless of where they are located. In the near future, UT researchers are even planning to use the solution to collaborate on projects with researchers at other UT sites as well as at other colleges and universities.

Making Students Lives Easier Parking has long been a vexing issue on the Knoxville campus. Finding an available space can be a challenge after hours, and is virtually impossible if a UT football or basketball game is being played at the same time. Centra Live has helped both commuter students and adult learners to eliminate parking concerns from the equation. Honestly, parking at this campus is one of the biggest nuisances we have for evening and weekend classes, Damewood explained. The fact that students can stay at home and not have to drive to campus has been a real positive.
As Web connection speeds have increased, professors can travel for a week or for an entire semester, and not have to miss class. Centra Live effectively replicates a physical classroom setting for online students.
Facilitating Department Meetings and Collaboration The University of Tennessee is also taking advantage of the Centra Live for E-Meetings solution to streamline regular meetings within departments and university extension groups. UT has even used Centra Live for E-Meetings to host meetings for statewide nonacademic groups. UT also encourages students to use Centra Live for EMeetings any time to collaborate efficiently on school projects or conduct research without the obstacles of distance. The capabilities are just great for any small group collaboration, Damewood commented.
Reaping the Benefits Considering that Centra Live was initially deployed as an alternative to videoconferencing, the solution has been a substantial cost saver for the university, according to Damewood. With Centra Live, students and faculty members use their own PCs, so theres not as much special equipment for UT to purchase. The solution has added support for a range of popular PC operating systems such as Windows including Vista and the Apple Macintosh platform, which has a big following in some educational circles. UT also has strong anecdotal evidence that Centra Live is helping prepare students for real-world challenges they will face in the future. Several MBA students have commented that having experience in Web conferencing for example, being able to meet and review a key spreadsheet online in real time gives them a highly marketable business skill theyll need after graduation. Most people who use Centra Live really like it, Damewood stated. If it makes their life easier and more convenient, theyre all for it.
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What are Saba Centra boot camps? Focused, hands-on, private Saba Centra learning events using the customers own configurations, processes, and content examples. Who are they for? Event leaders Event managers Content developers Help desk/technical staff Why should I buy them? Quickly and cost-effectively train core team Job aids and quick reference cards Collaboration with live, expert instructors How do I get more information? Contact registrar@saba.com or 650-779-2754. Visit our blog at learnsaba.com. A Saba Centra boot camp from Saba University may be just what you need to realize the full potential of Saba Centra in your organization. We have designed our boot camps to immerse power users in the effective use of and administration of Saba Centra. Upfront training in a private setting drives user adoption and sets your organization up for success with Saba Centra. We offer three boot camps, described in detail below: Saba Centra Fundamental Bootcamp Saba Centra Help Desk Boot Camp Saba Centra Server Administrator Boot Camp Saba Centra Fundamentals Bootcamp What is it? Foundation training to learn designing, developing, and delivering events using Saba Centra. Who is it for? Event leaders Content developers Event managers Duration: 3 days or 6 half-days. Offered as: Private, instructor-led class (on-site or virtual). Topics: Leading Sessions Session Management Using Leader Tools Using Application Sharing Using Breakout Rooms Facilitating and Presenting Online Developing Content Using Agenda Builder Using Multimedia Creating Evaluations Creating Subjects and Testing Events Recording Saba Centra Events Using Saba Centra Recording Studio Managing Users and Events User Account Management Event Management
Saba Centra Help Desk Boot Camp What is it? Technical training to prepare your help desk to support Saba Centra. Who is it for? Help desk Technical staff Duration: 1/2 day. Offered as: Private, instructor-led class (on-site or virtual). Topics: Saba Centra Overview Client Installation Connectivity Process and Troubleshooting Tools VoIP Audio Components and Troubleshooting Tools
Saba Centra Server Administrator Boot Camp What is it? Advanced technical training to equip your technical staff to configure, maintain, and troubleshoot the Saba Centra server. Who is it for? Server administrators System administrators Duration: 1/2 day. Offered as: Private, instructor-led class (on-site or virtual). Topics: Saba Centra Overview Server Architecture Server Troubleshooting Server Maintenance and Backup

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2010 Saba Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Saba, the Saba logo, Saba Centra, and the marks relating to Saba products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Saba Software, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.