Comments on Elluminate

I think Elluminate is one of the most important educational programs to come along in the last five years. It is replacing audioconferencing as a presentation method.
There are several clear benefits to using Elluminate. It offers both auditory and visual participation. The 'hands-up' feature is an excellent quick way getting opinions. The whiteboard and Internet options make it almost as good as face-to-face presentations. It actually provides better links to technology than a face-to-face class does in many instances.
The are several important negatives. It needs a really good Internet connection - from everyone! One weak link - and the process breaks down. The learning curve is significant! Students really don't use all the features because they don't know how. A major part of every class is spent debugging and training. As the disability services advisor on the Sitka Campus, Elluminate is very difficult for disabled students to use. The auditory component is important. A deaf or hearing-impaired student can't participate fully. Elluminate has really caused us some headaches in the Disabilities Office!
I think Elluminate has applications beyond the classroom. It is excellent for meetings and staff training. It can be used on a personal level for family meetings. I think it will become an integral part of the learning and training environment.