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Krefeld / Mönchengladbach. Because not all students have the necessary technology to actively participate in digital lectures, an unusual solution has been developed at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences: the “Zoomby” mobile phone holder. With this device, which is delivered to the students as a kit, the students can actively participate in the courses, transmit their manual transcripts live via mobile phone camera and discuss them with the lecturers or their project group.
“We found that only around two thirds of our students have a computer with a camera or microphone available, but all of them have a smartphone,” says Dean Professor Dr. Patric Enewoldsen, who developed Zoomby. Together with employees, teachers and students, the mobile phone holder has already been produced 600 times in the department’s own workshop. Cost: one euro per bracket.
The kits delivered to the students and lecturers consist of four pieces of square timber with pre-drilled holes, three screws, a carriage bolt, a piece of wire, a washer and a wing nut. The also homemade construction and operating instructions are available as a video and PDF file on the intranet. “It takes a few minutes to set up,” says Enewoldsen, who himself stood in the workshop, sawing boards, drilled holes and packed screws.
The benefit of the simple frame is great: the students log into digital courses using their computer and smartphone. Align the smartphone with Zoomby so that it always shows what it should. The teachers are able to literally look over the shoulder of the student when the solution to the math problem is to be understood or the design sketch is to be examined. The student has both hands free and can work on the computer or on a sheet of paper while his cell phone is filming him. In addition, discussions become more lively, since not only text in the chat, but also speech, facial expressions and images can be seen.
The AStA is also enthusiastic about Enewoldsen’s idea and has ordered another 600 copies to make these available to other students at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. These are currently being produced. Enewoldsen would also like to offer his device to schools. “In this way, we enable young people to take part in video conferences conveniently and interactively for little money,” he says. “And the lecturers have even more options in the digital course.”
Interested schools can contact the mechanical and process engineering department. Contact: [email protected]
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