Press Releases
Penn State University-Wide Site License of Doceri from SP Controls Means Instructors are No Longer Tethered to the Podium
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and UNIVERSITY PARK, Penn., March 27, 2013 -- SP Controls together with Pennsylvania State University today announced that Penn State Instructional Technology Services has adopted a 1,000-seat, university-wide Doceri Desktop site license for use by its faculty. The Doceri software suite provides mobile, remote control of classroom podium computers as well as sophisticated whiteboard annotation and screencasting via an iPad.
After a successful pilot program that began last summer, Doceri Desktop is currently installed in 314 classrooms across 12 Penn State campuses, and is offered as a supported service to all Information Technology Services (ITS) managed classroom computers. Other campuses not managed through ITS may opt to purchase licenses at a discounted rate through the ITS purchasing department.
More than 40 instructors from a diverse range of instructional fields including chemistry, mathematics, engineering, English, theatre, nursing, and criminal justice took part in the Doceri pilot. Instructors are using the Doceri software suite in the classroom to access and remotely control presentations and other class materials on the podium computer. Many also use the Doceri iPad app to create screencast videos to flip their classroom instruction.
Instructors who elect to use Doceri must provide their own iPads. “We were looking for an affordable means by which instructors could access programs and annotate their presentations from a mobile device that worked with our existing network infrastructure,” said Brian Young, instructional designer for Penn State ITS. “After evaluating a half a dozen options, Doceri was the only whiteboard annotation and remote desktop control software that gave us the confidence to pursue university-wide deployment.
Young adds that initial plans were for a year-long pilot, given the inherent classroom changes facilitated by Doceri. However, everyone adapted so quickly, even those participants who were not considered early adopters, that they ended the pilot early in pursuit of adoption.
Engagement is the key advantage that Doceri provides instructors because they can walk away from the podium and move around among their students. “In a 400-person classroom,” Young explains, professors can be “more involved with what’s happening throughout the room rather than being tied to the podium.
Unsolicited feedback from students regarding classes where the Doceri pilot was in effect was very positive. As Young explained, “They felt like the instructor was really part of the class, and appreciated the increased interaction.
Many instructors have also begun using Doceri’s screencasting capabilities to create short, flipped classroom videos. In the flipped classroom model, students view instructional videos outside of class and classroom time is devoted to discussion or project work.
About Doceri
Originally introduced in February 2011, Doceri was the first iPad whiteboard and remote computer control app. Connecting Doceri on the iPad either with AppleTV or a host Mac or PC and projector via WIFI, teachers and presenters can control and project any file or program resident on the computer via the iPad, annotate over presentations, images, PDFs and other files and save these annotated presentations for editing and later use. Download Doceri free on the iTunes App Store. Find more information and download a free trial of Doceri Desktop for Mac or PC at www.doceri.com.
About SP Controls
SP Controls, Inc., headquartered in South San Francisco, has revolutionized audiovisual control technology for fifteen years with its innovative, easy-to-use, and inexpensive products for classrooms and conference rooms. SP Controls is located in South San Francisco, Calif. Contact the company toll free 867-367-8444 or visit www.SPControls.com