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Echo360 Expands Blended Learning Grants Program

Campus-wide blended and lecture capture solutions provider Echo360 has expanded its Blended Learning Grants Program from four to six awards, each worth $10,000.

The two new awards--a Newcomer's Grant Award for an institution with less than two years of deployment history and a Community Grant Award for a research project selected by popular vote among the higher education community--are part of the company's effort to help fund research from Echo360 client institutions studying different use cases of blended learning technology and how these affect teaching and learning outcomes.

The program, started in 2009, has "fueled various insights into the role technology plays on a wide array of topics, including retention, recruitment, and student learning outcomes," Echo360 said in a news release.

"Research gleaned from the program continues to spur the development of best practices and provide educators with a better understanding of how this technology benefits both teaching and learning across the globe," added Echo360 CEO Fred Singer in a news release.

This year's theme is "Blended Learning Technology: Understanding the Impact on Pedagogy and Student Learning." After the initial five grant recipients are named, proposals chosen for the Community Grant Award program will be highlighted online and a final award chosen by peer voting as recognition of "the academic community's unique insight into the topics and trends surrounding the use of blended learning technology," the company said.

If history is an indicator, this year's award winners--to be announced in August--will have an international flavor. Last year's winners include:

  • Murdoch University of Perth, Western Australia, for its submission, "Investigating Student Study Behaviours in Blended Learning Environments To Enhance Retention;"
  • Riverland Community College of Albert Lea, MN, for its "Analysis of Lecture Capture Engagement as a Retention Tool;"
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for "Toward Educational Renaissance: The Role of Lecture Capture in Fostering Innovative Learning Environments for Aspiring Health Professionals;" and
  • La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, for "An Investigation into Student Lecture Attendance, Their Use of Recorded Lectures and Subject Outcomes."

For more information, or to submit an application, visit echo360.com.

About the Author

Jerry Bard is a freelance technology writer. He can be reached at [email protected].

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