LEHI, Utah, March 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pronto, a leading engagement platform that instantly connects individuals and organizations via chat and video messaging, announced today that it is providing its synchronous communication platform for free for the 2020 Spring and Summer semesters to University professors dealing with Coronavirus related challenges that are interrupting teaching schedules so students don’t fall behind while they can’t meet face-to-face in the classroom.
“We understand the challenges being disconnected from the classroom presents to students and professors,” said Carli Tegtmeier, Vice President of Sales, Higher Education at Pronto. “Amid a crisis like the Coronavirus, it’s critical that these connections be maintained so professors can continue to provide a good student experience. This initiative is designed to enable on-ground faculty with a viable way of staying in close communication with students and maintaining continuity while they can’t meet in person.”
Many Universities are struggling to create strategies to continue teaching in the event that there are school closures due to the Coronavirus. Part of the challenges they face are attributable to the fact that a large percentage of university faculty have never taught online and many don’t like the idea of it because they feel disconnected with students.
Pronto began offering their platform for free to professors while discussing contingency plans for dealing with potential Coronavirus shutdowns. As conversations increased, Pronto quickly realized that they could fill a huge void in crisis strategies while playing a significant role in helping students continue their education, regardless of their location. The response to this free service has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The goodwill this decision demonstrates speaks volumes about the Pronto team,” said Judith Dutill, Co-Founder and Product Manager with Online Learning Toolkit. “I’ve been so swamped with Coronavirus news this week and I feel inspired right now and completely re-energized. I’m going to tell EVERYONE about this.”
Pronto works with a number of Universities and professors across the country to help them connect with students so they can learn faster, work smarter, and communicate seamlessly.
At Glendale Community College in Glendale, California, Fabiola Torres, the Professor and Department Chair of Ethnic Studies, teaches both online and classroom courses. She has made it her goal to not let students slip through the cracks and help them reach their potential through direct and private communication. She began using Pronto over a year ago and saw immediate results.
“One of the many benefits I quickly realized was that students liked the ability to pick up their phone anytime and get an immediate response from me. From my perspective, it sent my students a very clear message that I care, and I care about answering their questions. This was life altering for some of my students,” Torres said.
Pronto will provide its platform for the 2020 Spring and Summer semesters. Professors and schools wanting access to Pronto for free can visit https://pronto.io/coronavirus/.
About Pronto
Pronto is a communication hub for the everyday user. No fancy syntax or confusing hashtags, just seamless communication so everyone can learn faster and work smarter. With auto-translation, group messaging and file sharing capabilities, Pronto makes having your voice heard and understood easier than ever. For more information visit https://pronto.io.
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