"We are delighted to get this recognition as a research institution and will continue to explore creative ways to enhance learning through collaboration," said LKL's Elluminate Hero Tim Neumann.

Elluminate serves seven million teachers and students in 170 countries, and their Center of Excellence programme is now in its 5th year. The seven institutions that were recognised in 2010 include: Arizona Virtual Academy, Laurel Springs School, London Knowledge Lab, NSW Businesslink, Rock Island Elementary, Thomas University, and Wright State University.

"We feel that this group of institutions elevated education during this economically tumultuous year through their inspiring creativity," said Elluminate President Maurice Heiblum. "We are pleased to see that so many schools and companies are creatively using Elluminate products to adapt to the ever-changing environments."

Each year, Elluminate chooses a variety of schools and businesses that have implemented Elluminate technology in creative ways that improve classroom or distance learning programs, corporate training, faculty or staff communication and collaboration, or administrative operations.

Elluminate Live! is the company's flagship product that is widely used across many institutions for live web conferencing. The cutting-edge product transforms teaching and learning by improving communication, collaboration and education. 

Elluminate Live! at the London Knowledge Lab

The London Knowledge Lab is using Elluminate Live! for public webcasts and research team meetings. Through the Learning Technologies Unit, the LKL supports the use of Elluminate in courses at the Institute of Education, University of London, especially fully online courses delivered through the University of London External Programme. We are also collaborating with Birkbeck College and the Royal Veterinary College on live web conferencing via the Bloomsbury Learning Environment, a shared virtual learning environment, into which Elluminate is integrated.

The three Masters delivered at the LKL, the MA in ICT in Education, MA in Media, Culture and Communication and the new MSc in Learning Technologies (information forthcoming) provide opportunities for reflection on and working with live online collaboration. A number of research projects help understand and improve learning with live online collaboration. Examples of these projects are MoSAIC and the LDSE.

Elluminate also recognises Elluminate Heroes, who are the individuals or teams responsible for their institutions being accepted into the Centers of Excellence Program. Winners demonstrate real world results, including increased student achievement.  

Learning Technology Fellow Tim Neumann has worked closely with lecturers at the Institute of Education to enhance courses with live online collaboration. Students of the Online Masters in Educational and Social Research reported major enhancements of their learning experience by using Elluminate, while tutors reported that Elluminate has made students' learning deeper and more effective. Tim also initiates and supports larger-scale events, such as an online strand in the Institute of Education's Doctoral School Summer Conference, opening up opportunities for the Institute's large international student body to participate in a major collaboration event for doctoral students.

The London Knowledge Lab will report on the progress of live online collaboration with Elluminate Live! at the London Knowledge Lab, the Institute of Education, and other Bloomsbury Colleges on the project page during its year as a Center of Excellence.

Project page: http://projects.lkl.ac.uk/elluminate

About the London Knowledge Lab

The London Knowledge Lab is a unique collaboration between two of the UK’s most prominent centres of research – the Institute of Education and Birkbeck College.  The Lab brings together computer and social scientists from a very broad range of fields and tackles issues from many different perspectives. This is reflected in our mission, to

• Understand the place of digital technologies and media in our cultural, social and educational relationships with knowledge – finding, acquiring, creating, and sharing it;
• Design, build and evaluate systems, processes and interfaces that enhance these relationships; and
• Examine critically the assumptions about knowledge and learning that underlie the increasingly wide range of applications of digital technologies. 

About Elluminate, Inc.

Elluminate, Inc. provides proven, best-in-class web, audio, video, and social networking solutions that support 21^st century teaching, learning, and collaboration.  The company serves more than 624 million annual web-collaboration minutes to over seven million teachers and students located in 170 different countries.  Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Pleasanton, California, Elluminate is the trusted choice of prominent academic institutions and corporations, including ADP, Apple Computer, California State University, Florida Virtual School, Georgetown University, K12 Inc., London Knowledge Lab, Los Angeles Unified School District, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Novell, Queen's University, Royal Veterinary College, Red Hat, Sun Microsystems, and many more.  For more information, visit http://www.elluminate.com.

Elluminate Live! is a registered trademark of Elluminate, Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada.