“I’m not sure we could have easily offered this class without the technology,” adds Professor Gottesman. “It let us collaborate in a new way.”
According to the Rutgers School of Law, Newark web site, “approximately 90 percent of second and third-year students will have the opportunity to take a course in the immersive distance education classroom.”
“For the Fall 2015 semester, we have more classes booked, and even more after that,” says Ryan. “Currently, there are ten courses for Spring 2016 already scheduled.”
When not being used for classes, the facilities are used in a variety of non-instructional ways, according to Dean Weisbord.
“There are many aspects of the merger of the two law schools assisted by having this type of facility,” he says. “We use it for meetings among faculty members, and for student meetings like the student-run journals. The technology and the set-up makes it feel like you’re in the same room.”
“My goal from an IT point-of-view, especially considering the cost, is that the Holodeck is booked as solidly as possible,” says Ryan. “Classes during the day and evening, journal meetings during lunch, etc.”
“There’s a lot of interest in rooms from other departments,” notes Dean Weisbord. “For example, we are considering also using these rooms for the Continuing Legal Ed classes that lawyers need to take to maintain their bar memberships.”
And with an immersive telepresence room on two out of three campuses, it’s no surprise that Rutgers is looking into adding one to the remaining campus in New Brunswick.
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