by Ysolt Usigan
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No, it's not the "Twilight Zone." For students like Carl Graf, who is pursuing an online degree in information technology, it's just another day in the cyber scholastic zone. Thanks to digital technology like live broadcasted lessons and even Global Positioning System (GPS) - satellite-based navigation technology - it's not so odd for eLearning students to use high-tech study tactics. The incorporation of real-time elements, high resolution, and other techno-perks are not only on pace with the changing face of technology, but in many cases, are leading the wave of academia's high-tech future.
Cyber Learning in the Traditional Sense
"There's no question that distance learning is here to stay," says Steve Peha, president of Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc., a company that assists schools, teachers, students, and parents to improve educational opportunities. "The advantages of convenience outweigh all other considerations."
Of course, convenience is just the start of it. The very forward-thinking nature of eLearning's high-tech approach will soon go from trend to standard, believes Daniel Hamburger, president and chief operating officer of DeVry Inc. and head of DeVry University Online. He advises potential online students to evaluate a program's online platform from the get-go. "Make sure it's user-friendly and interactive," he says. Studies have shown that the more interactive the learning experience, the better the learning outcome.
Anytime, Anywhere - Literally!
It's no wonder then why schools like Duke University (Durham, NC) and North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC) enlist satellite services such as GPS to deliver cyber courses.
Instructors provide the content, and companies like Microspace, which offer educational video and data broadcasting services, make lessons available to students. "The Internet has bandwidth limitations," says Greg Hurt,director of sales and marketing at Microspace, a leading provider of Business Television Networks. "By using VELOCITY® [satellite], we eliminate those restraints, and students can view entire lectures using their TV screens."
In fact, Hurt says Duke University has used the satellite tool to broadcast a surgery to medical students, among other lesson plans where observation is important.
Keeping It Real Time
In terms of observation, what happens to online students who never "see" their professors? Some schools have tried to counter the inherent lack of face-to-face interaction by incorporating video conferencing systems to keep everyone better connected, not only via computer, but visually.
Iowa Central Community College's solution for cyber students who can't just walk into their professors' offices or physically meet with classmates to work on projects? A virtual campus where meetings can occur the high-tech way. The school recently implemented Elluminate Live! Academic Edition, which offers live eLearning and Web conferencing, to augment its distance learning courses. Not only does the system use a Collaborative Communications Framework to ensure all participants are in sync by optimizing the data stream specifically for the user's connection speed, instructors can also set up virtual office hours.
Using Elluminate Live! teachers can create content for students to access through two-way audio, direct messaging, live Webcams, application sharing, and interactive message boards. Cyber students can also "meet up" online for scheduled classes, group projects, and ad hoc sessions - with or without their instructor.
Also on the forefront of tech teaching is Villanova University with the implementation of Rich Media into its distance education programs. The cutting-edge technology allows students to take a course in a traditional classroom setting without ever leaving their homes. Although they're not face to face with their cohorts, they can view the class, take notes, and interact with students in real time via online chat and video teleconferencing.
"We are trying to mimic what you'd ordinarily see in a traditional classroom setting," explains Sean O'Donnell, director of distance education at Villanova's College of Engineering. The interactive format enables an online student to see what the on-site student would see, including the professor teaching and all supporting class material.
Online students can even raise their hands during a lecture; call in a question; use a voice-over device on the computer; or type a message on screen to which the professor and classmates can respond.
"We want to make our distance learning students feel [like] a part of the class," says O'Donnell. "Whether it's the professor, a student physically in the class, or a distance learner, they'll all see the exact same thing."
What's Next?
Distance learning is no longer the type of education where posting on message boards and e-mailing professors and fellow students are the only ways to communicate. From study gadgets to high-tech learning modules, it's as if the average student has been transformed into a double agent - part pupil, part pro. As these made-for-professional innovations enhance learning, what can we expect to see next? Time travel to catch the classes you've missed? Lectures by way of telepathy? You never know.
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