Abstract

Unified Communications (UC) is being widely adopted by business and industry. Research has shown that UC increases productivity. Although UC tools are being used widely on campus, very little research has been done on the use of UC in the classroom. This paper reports the findings of a pilot study that asked students to indicate their use of various communication technologies to support their academic studies. Students indicated heavy use of email, voice and text messaging and limited use of instant messaging, teleconferencing and videoconferencing. Patterns of use were distinct – students prefer to use different technologies when communicating with faculty than when communicating with peers. The academic use of communication technologies will continue to evolve, although gradually. The next generation of Learning Management Systems that purposefully and thoughtfully integrate communications technologies will be positioned to become the infrastructure provider for UC in the classroom.

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