Case Study: Centro Studi Primo Carnera

For Centro di Studi Primo Carnera, enrolling more students meant going online

The 21st Century has witnessed an unprecedented revolution in education – new areas of study, new technologies, but also new challenges have forever changed the way we acquire knowledge. Students young and old vie for top spots at schools, universities and, ultimately, employers, without the geographical limitations of previous generations.

Access to a seemingly unlimited number of educational or professional opportunities points to broad potential but also encourages competition at a global level. Students often supplement their studies hoping to achieve an advantage over their peers. The same is true in Perdenone, Italy, where Primo Carnera Study Centre offers a variety of preparatory courses aimed at university students or those hoping to advance or realign their careers.

And just as students are now able to learn from schools worldwide, so do educational institutions need to extend their reach to attract new students. Even areas as charming as northern Italy aim to increase enrollment through remote study. This is exactly what Primo Carnera has done: inviting students from all over Italy to participate in classes held on its campus in Perdenone.

The not-so-surprising challenge of hybrid teaching

Having a dedicated campus offers an advantage over purely digital options. Tiziano Candotti, general manager of Primo Carnera, knows that though students benefit from asynchronous education, the direct involvement of qualified teachers in the learning process is often the preferred method. Students thrive when they are able to ask questions and gain answers from qualified experts.

Primo Carnera’s campus offers its teaching staff multiple classrooms in which to conduct lessons. As the school enrolls students from all over Italy, however, classes often include many students joining remotely. Teachers are tasked with addressing both in-person and online students, which breeds its own set of challenges: employing purely digital tools would conflict with the flow of in-person teaching; traditional teaching tools like whiteboards, however, are difficult to share with
online students.

It was this very problem that led Candotti to look for a solution: “Students were complaining about the scarce visibility of the whiteboard during online lessons.” The school even invested in cameras and mounted them over their whiteboards, yet the issues with visibility remained. Handwriting was often less than legible and teachers, in the course of their lessons, obstructed boards with their bodies.

The right solution must both solve the problem and be easily implementable

Without a solution, Primo Carnera couldn’t effectively expand its enrollment of remote students. Tiziano Candotti researched online for an answer to his situation and quickly identified the best – and in many ways – only option.

As a software solution, ShareTheBoard did not require Candotti to purchase expensive, dedicated devices. More than that, it allowed him to use his existing cameras, effectively increasing the return on his school’s hardware investment. Its tech agnosticism extended to software integration as well, allowing the school to continue using its existing videoconferencing tool.

ShareTheBoard was also very easy to use – its level of complexity on par with that of videoconference solutions. Thus, without any new hardware investment and without any significant staff training, Primo Carnera successfully deployed ShareTheBoard across its entire campus.

Better engagement through enhanced visibility Deploying ShareTheBoard had an immediate effect.

Indeed, 100% of surveyed students agreed that the tool had vastly improved board content legibility. ShareTheBoard’s industry-leading handwritten content recognition algorithms turned all teachers’ handwriting into crystal clear, zoomable content. Without any change to campus tools or teaching procedures, Primo Carnera had leveled the playing field for remote students in hybrid classes.

“Enhanced board visibility positively impacted student engagement” boasted Candotti.

“ShareTheBoard also boosted lesson quality, giving a more professional experience in each classroom.” Students compared the effect to that of smartboards such as those offered by the Italian manufacturer, LIM. At a categorically lower price range, ShareTheBoard offered Primo Carnera a solution that was not only effective, it was also financially achievable to allow for a campus-wide deployment.

Students and teachers also appreciated ShareTheBoard’s Board Memory feature, allowing all participants the ability to replay any part of their lesson, at any time. Board Memory not only aids in-class engagement, it boosts retention and affords an easily-accessible solution for students that may require more time to process.

Have you found hardware-heavy investments too expensive to be a school-wide solution?

Contact ShareTheBoard for more information and benefit from the same visibility and accessibility boost enjoyed by Primo Carnera Study Centre.

Book a free demo and start your free trial here.