The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) students are learning in ways that would have seemed impossible just a decade ago.

The University's College of Education, which is renowned for its innovative and progressive learning environment, made it their mission to give students  a professional and global experience.   By aligning collaboration technology with the University's needs, UNO pushes the boundaries of education.

For example, with web conferencing, professors are now able to spend more time one-on-one with students and less time lecturing.  Students and faculty can attend class from remote locations, making classes more accessible to all. In addition, students are able to view online lecture notes before class, so that class time is more effectively spent in group discussions around real-life applications.

Additionally, students enjoy the flexibility of attending classes online, while maintaining their day jobs or other responsibilities.  While the University maintains the in-person classroom education experience, students enjoy the convenience of being able to attend class from off-campus locations.

Students are not the only ones praising the benefits of collaboration; UNO faculty reap the positive impacts as well.  Dr. Jeanne Surface says that collaboration is helping students to learn in deeper ways, which Surface attributes to the "ability to play back video lectures and other content."  Unlike traditional lectures, students have the ability to review and study every minute of a previous lecture, which helps students studying and also opens more class time to interaction-based class sessions.

Connecting students and teachers changes the dynamics of learning in an innovative way that strengthens relationships and learning. Higher-level education leaders agree: "Our students are a step ahead if they are exposed to a wide range of sophisticated collaborative technologies at the College of Education," Dr. Nancy Edick, Dean of College of Education at UNO explains. "By embracing an array of effective technology tools, we can better prepare future educators for the 21st century classroom, as well as successfully create future K-12 administrative leaders who will be forward-thinking role models in their schools and communities."

Learn more about the successes at UNO in their case study. Has collaboration, or collaboration tools, impacted how you teach or learn?

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