Lectures can sometimes be large and intimidating, but a group of University of Michigan graduates has developed an app to incorporate interactive technology in larger classes.
LectureTools is an interactive iPad app that combines note-taking with a student inquiry-and-response feature to connect professor with student. Professors can add interactive elements in lecture presentations, and students can access these before, during, and after the lecture on the web or through the iPad app.
Students can use LectureTools to take notes directly on the presentations and can ask questions during or after class if they are in need of clarification; while professors can poll the class and clear up any misconceptions about the material directly from the students’ feedback.
"LectureTools is the first end-to-end learning platform in the app store, and we look forward to seeing how campuses, K-12 schools, and corporations use our application. We think that this app provides an opportunity for iPads to be used in a more direct, engaging way," says Jason Aubrey, LectureTools co-founder who graduated from U-M in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in political science.
The product was originally developed from research by Perry Samson, a Michigan professor of atmospheric, oceanic, and space sciences.
Now that’s the Michigan Difference!