Cyber Academy uses the Blackboard course management system along with Wimba Classroom and Wimba Voice to provide audio, video, application sharing, content display, and vitally important elements of interaction that transcend text-based courses. These solutions are vital to students who learn best by hearing or by receiving information via multiple means concurrently. Wimba also supports student engagement by facilitating vocal instruction, collaboration, coaching, and assessment.
The major educational benefit comes in the form of meeting the needs of students who, for varied reasons, are learning outside the traditional classroom. While some families simply favor home schooling, others are responding to a number of medical, social, and relational factors that make education technology a life-changing alternative for a growing number of district families.
One student told us how much he likes being offered different ways to learn. He thinks of himself as an “audio guy,” someone who learns better when he can hear the teacher’s verbal explanations. Learning success also reinforces his confidence as a student. For these kinds of young people, the Wimba Voice tools we added carry a huge benefit.