More Students Can Now Choose How and When They Attend Classes: In-Person, Online During Class, or at Their Convenience

One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that education found new and more effective ways to move online. Many classes are now back in person, but we better understand the benefits of having broad and diverse online options and resources. 

With that in mind, CNM is using federal Cares 2.0 funds to outfit 74 classrooms with high-end webcams and microphones so that instructors can record a lecture for in-person students while also having online students watch the presentation in real time (synchronously) or after the fact (asynchronously). 

“The pandemic has taught us that creating these options is a clear best practice,” says Jackie Lamoureux, the CNM Presidential Fellow overseeing the Attend Anywhere classroom project. “We’re giving them several different and effective ways to stay engaged, learn the content, and be successful.” 

The idea for Attend Anywhere classrooms was brought to CNM by Fang Chen. Due to her idea, CNM leadership support, and the great work of Chris Campbell, Presidential Fellow (2018-2019), when COVID hit there were 12 Attend Anywhere classrooms. The Attend Anywhere classrooms continued to expand over the pandemic, CNM now has 32 classrooms with the expanded technology to support faculty and students learning needs. Currently, 74 additional classrooms are being outfitted, bringing the total to 106. All CNM campuses will have Attend Anywhere classrooms and instructors in all departments will have access. 

“The 21st century is yearning for a new vision for public education—an education anytime, anyplace, anyhow, and at any pace. Today the same is true. Attend Anywhere technology opens many doors and greatly increases access to higher education for non-traditional students,” Fang says.

The use cases are indeed many. Students who don’t have time to drive to a CNM campus, or need to be home, can attend synchronously and still ask questions in real time. Students who don’t have time to attend in-person or online during the class meeting time are able to watch the lecture afterwards and have the benefit of seeing the whiteboard where the instructor presents the information. Moreover, in-person students can choose to attend online occasionally if something comes up and they can’t make it to campus. In-person students will also be able to go back and rewatch the lecture, just like the online students, in case they need extra help. 

“The data clearly shows that if you’re able to go through a presentation several times it’s much easier to learn the material,” Jackie says.

CNM instructors benefit from the Attend Anywhere classrooms as well. Most importantly, instructors who teach in-person classes in an Attend Anywhere classroom are able to record their presentations for students who are either sick or were not able to attend and this ensures those students don’t fall behind. The Attend Anywhere classes also provide instructors who only teach online with a space where they have access to a whiteboard, a strong internet connection, and high-quality audio and visual equipment. 

“Attend Anywhere rooms have been a lifesaver during these pandemic times,” says Karissa Addamane, a CNM Chemistry Instructor. “The ability to record lectures or have students temporarily attend remotely while being quarantined has been so helpful. Students are able to continue with their studies, be present virtually, and have access to their classes in ways we underutilized pre-pandemic.”

CNM plans to have the 74 new Attend Anywhere classrooms updated by the end of the 2022 Spring Term. If you’d like to learn more, find out what classes are offered in Attend Anywhere classrooms, or have questions, please visit the Attend Anywhere website.