Ed tech startup Campuswire has launched Campuswire Pro in beta, just in time for the spring semester. The Pro version of the course communication tool includes a new active learning feature to replace tools such as iClicker, TopHat and Poll Everywhere, as well as a video office hours tool that professors can use to replace or supplement in-person office hours and host live review sessions.
Campuswire is a communication tool that increases student collaboration and streamlines professors’ workflows by providing a home base for course-related Q&A, announcements and discussion. The company enters the new year with the beta release of its paid tool: Campuswire Pro.
Active learning is an increasingly popular method of improving student learning outcomes. Campuswire Pro’s beta launch includes a new active learning feature, Campuswire Lectures, which allows professors to host lectures and live student-response questions directly within their Campuswire course page.
Students respond to live lecture questions through Campuswire’s iOS and Android apps, both of which have been rebuilt for the tool’s beta launch. By allowing students to participate in lectures via their mobile devices, the team building Campuswire aims to further their mission of improving student engagement.
In addition to the tool’s new active learning capabilities, Campuswire Pro includes Campuswire Live: a tool for hosting video office hours, live review sessions, and video lectures within a Campuswire course. Many professors communicate with students outside of the classroom using tools that are not specifically built for university courses—such as Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts—which Campuswire Live will replace.
Pro also contains a Class Insights feature that allows professors to view key metrics on their students’ performance and participation within their course.
Campuswire Pro is scheduled to launch in full early this March and is the company’s first paid plan. Campuswire Basic is free, and will be free forever—the company’s $3.6 million seed round in 2019 supports the team’s free offering.
The Pro beta trial is currently comprised of professors at UCLA, CalTech and Cornell, with professors from six additional schools awaiting access to the tool on the Campuswire Pro waitlist. Participants in Campuswire Pro’s beta launch will share feedback with the Campuswire team in preparation for the March release of Pro V1.
Learn more about Campuswire Pro’s features and pricing on the company’s blog.
