Tech of the Month - February 2017 - The Kubi
By Austin Chau
How might students who can’t be in class still have an in-class experience?
Though they are earnest to learn, some students have situations that cause them to miss class. OIT, in partnership with Athletics and Advising, is conducting a pilot that takes the typical video conferencing experience to the next level. The Kubi Telepresence Robot is a remote controllable mount for iPads, allowing students to participate and learn in a classroom environment when they aren’t able to come to class. Students access the Kubi webcam setup with a link and they can look, hear, and respond to classmates almost as if they were physically in class. Remote students get a simple interface, both innovative and easy to use, that provides near equal voice and class representation, almost like a real seat at the table. In addition, in-class students can connect to and get feedback from the remote student.
With this pilot, OIT is investigating innovative ways to help students stay on track with their educations while facing extenuating financial or health circumstances, or even enabling them to pursue unique career opportunities. Giving these students a chance to participate in an online, interactive mode can make the difference in students completing their degrees and can still be beneficial to the physical classroom environment.