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New higher-ed app boosts collaboration in real-time

Lucidchart aims to improve the professor-student learning dynamic through interactive charts and diagrams

lucidchart-application-higher [1]Higher-ed faculty and staff are always looking for new time-saving tools to deliver instruction more efficiently and effectively.

If you’re searching for new and innovative ways to present complex material to students, you might want to take a closer look at Lucidchart [2].

Launched in 2010 by Lucid Software [3], an web-based diagramming app with more than 2 million users, Lucidchart aims to boost collaboration between professors and students.

Similar to Google Docs sharing functionality, Lucidcharts provides the ease of collaborating in real-time with students—eliminating back-and-forth revisions—and allows professors to provide feedback throughout the entire lifespan of the design project.

Have you heard of Lucidchart, and would you consider implementing it in the classroom? Share your views in the comments section below and join the conversation on Twitter @ecampusnews [4].

(Next page: How is does it work—and what are the benefits?)

Karl Sun, CEO and cofounder of Lucidchart, said that the company’s mission is to make visual communications more accessible to users, especially in the education space: “We wanted to make Lucidchart straightforward and intuitive. There are many templates to use, and they can be shared and customized. People can create things as diverse as mind maps for brainstorming, to Venn diagrams and concept maps.”

In terms of cost [5], there is a staff-based subscription model and paid version with additional features and functionality such as shared images and templates and secure publishing. If you’re an educator, you’re in luck: All premium features are free for K-12 and higher ed.

While Lucidchart can be used in a diverse range of disciplines, it is especially useful in math, science, and technology. In these fields, Venn diagrams and geographical charts can help visually explain complex issues.

But just how does it work? According to Sun, “The sharing is similar to how you would share with Google Apps [6]. If you are an educator, Lucidchart shows up in your menu in the same places where you would create a new document.”

The application includes a simple drag-and-drop functionality. Shapes and images can be easily dragged and dropped, and notes can be inserted with the click of a mouse. Additional features include clickable wireframes and prototypes for websites or mockups for an iPad app or Android app.

Quantifying student success remains a work in progress, because professors are not always eager to share precise and personal data on how Lucidchart impacts the classroom. However, Sun notes that professors do share from a qualitative perspective that they see greater efficiency in higher test scores and student achievement. “Educators tell Lucidchart that from their perspective, they see higher student retention and test scores,” he said.

The end result is for the application to improve student grades, which is already occurring according to testimonials from Penn State Lehigh Valley [7]Baruch College, and Cal Poly [8].

Michael Sharnoff is Associate Online Editor at eCampus News. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_eSM [9].