Employing the Power of Technology to Change the Concept of the Classroom

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is constantly striving to expand the concept of the classroom and fulfill the mission of the university, which includes serving the educational needs of employed professionals, regardless of their schedules and distance from the central campus. "Distant learners" include those whose job demands, family responsibilities, and other constraints make traditional educational access unavailable. This paper reviews the various highlights of the history of distance education technologies at NSU, from low to high technology. Distance education at NSU began in 1972 with the use of the telephone and airplanes. In 1983, graduate education programs were offered through interactive electronic telecommunications. Facilitated classrooms, using a combination of audio teleconferencing discussions (including computer augmentation of the audiobridge, such as subgrouping and polling). ind, 'idual phone calls, and a local facilitator provided a new instructional mode at NSU beginning in 1991. Distance education programs at NSU, operating online on Unix, use regional symposia, campus seminars and institutes, personal computers for online electronic communications, and computer conferencing. The electronic classroom (ECR) program simulates a traditional classroom; the computer screen is split into an instructor's ("blackboard") and a student's window. In 1994, NSU began offering compressed video, an altenative to interactive television (ITV) systems that offers ,clilivalent educational effectiveness at a lower cost, as another mode P. interactive, online instruction. (Author/MAS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from thr original document. **************************).:****************)%********)'.. ,.******** U S DEPARTMENT OF r)LICATION 06ce of Educahonel Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (EPIC/ P The document has been reproduced AT received Irdm the person or orosnmetion ongmatmg rl C Mmor changes have t made to .mIXOYe reproduction Quaid), Pcunts of view or opinions stated trithiSdodtr ment do not neCessenty represent offictsi OE RI poSitton or pOhCy "Employing the Power of Technology to Change the Concept of the Classroom" A Presentation for the 12th International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE)