An Overview of Distance Learning Technology

A telecourse developed by Leecy Wise, 4CRC
May, 2000

You have permission to use these materials for educational purposes only as long as you credit the sources.

HOME | WORKSHOPS

Day 1 | Day 2

The following links provides useful information on learning preferences and the use of distance learning technology in communicating with people in one's environment. Much of the technical information in this presentation came from the sites below:

http://tecweb.org/eddevel/eddevframe.html

http://www.outreach.uiuc.edu/ws97/intro/index.htm

AGENDA - Day 1

Call 1 (60 minutes) - At the end of this call, you should be able to choose simple ways to convey ideas effectively to people with a variety of learning preferences, through common distance education techniques.

What is Intelligence? A discussion of multiple intelligences (Gardner,1991) and Canfield's Test

• Visual-Spatial
• Bodily-kinesthetic
• Musical
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Linguistic
• Logical -Mathematical
• Naturalistic

Activity: You want to communicate a concept/message to someone in a traditional way (linguistic/rational/mathematic/linear). Choose two other ways to communicate that concept or message to people with a visual-spacial and musical intelligence.

Perspectives on Distance Education Technologies

• Purpose
• Types of Connection
• Cost
• Appeal to the Senses
• Interactivity
• Home vs. Business
• Synchronous vs. Asynchronous

Common Devices for Teaching at a Distance

Multimedia Tools

• Authoring Software, (Front Page, Power Point, Desktop Applications)
• Video Streaming
• Sound Clips

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ACTIVITY:  Select an objective/item that you have difficulty conveying to people in your environment (distances, complexity of the concept). By using DE technology and multimedia, design a simple plan to reach people in a more effective way. Use the multiple intelligences list as a checklist and also think of the availability of distance learning options as an advantage. Report on what strategies you used. This shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. Evaluate whether the methodology you designed would be worth the effort.

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[Next Session: Conferencing Technologies and Applications (Read materials on conferencing technologies at http://tecweb.org/eddevel/eddevframe.html.

AGENDA – Day 2

Call 2 (60 minutes) - At the end of this call, you should be totally confused and ready to experiment with some of your most intriguing DE technology yourself.

Issues Affecting Technology Users

• More rather than less to do

• Who will train me and at what cost?

• Keeping up with the equipment

• The new pace of "doing" business

Connections 

•   Modems and phones

• Microwave

• T1 Lines (Compressed Video/Audio/data - 1.54 Mbs)

•  Fiber Optics - Light waves (One pair of fiber - 10K calls simultaneously)

• Satellite

Activity Reports

Conferencing Options

Audio Conference

A widely used distance learning technology that brings individuals and groups together via telephone connections for audio interaction.  A form of teleconferencing in real time using both an audio and a data connection.  

• voice-only through audio bridges (teleclasses) and operator - assisted
• support with relevant materials and resources

Characteristics

• Low cost
• Easy to use
• Readily accessible
• Audio only
• Groups of people can talk and multiple locations can be combined through bridge

Advantages

• ubiquitous
• reduces travel
• groups can conference
• easy to use, easy to support
• good quality audio (full duplex) can be very interactive

Challenges

• listening is a strain
• participants do not have nonverbal feedback
• people may not feel comfortable speaking into microphones
• difficult to develop complex information

Tech Tips

• Point to point is relatively easy, multipoint may require a bridge - is it scheduled
• Establish audio protocols
• Large conferences may take a long time to form -> meet me option?
• Most conferencing equipment requires a separate phone line
• If you get disconnected do you have a plan?

Costs

• You are charged whatever your long distance company charges for the call, depending on the variables you use
• Bridging: To connect multiple sites you often need a bridge. There are many commercial providers with many types of services. Cost vary from $10-$25 per hour plus line charges.

Teaching Tips

• Supplement audio conferences with visual material.
• Get participants to do something physical in relation to the task.
• Have participants work in pairs/groups and report outcomes.
• Provide a music background or intro to different segments. Use rhythm to make points when possible.
• Study the Challenges list above and compensate when possible.

Computer (Internet) Conference

Conferences using a worldwide network of computers comprised of many smaller networks that are all interlinked.

• Modem connections
• Internet classes that combine all Web and Internet resources to include
• synchronous or asynchronous interactivity

 Characteristics

• Supports various levels of multi-media communication
• Accessibility is increasing while the costs are decreasing
• Easy to use. Technology requires minimal training and support
• Readily accessible. Uses regular phone lines, network connections or ISDN lines.
• Exchange can be passive or interactive

Advantages 

• A comprehensive network infrastructure allowing for communication of computers anywhere
• Large numbers can access information simultaneously
• Users can be more anonymous, creating a degree of equality

Challenges

• Initial investment and reoccurring costs can be costly
• You need Internet access through a provider
• Surfing can be time intensive
• Information may be inaccurate or offensive
• Technical problems can disconnect users from source.

Tech Tips

• Connection speed will affect access time
• Processing power of the computer will affect access time
• Computability is an on going issue, things are changing rapidly and software and hardware upgrades are needed to keep up

Teaching Tips

• Provide additional exercises and activities for participants to exchange ideas.
• Introduce as many images as possible without interfering too much with loading time.
• Use multimedia when appropriate.
• Provide lots of  “out-of-media” activities to supplement the message through other experiences.

Audiographics Conference

A distance education application which uses a combination of telephone and computer technology.  Telephone connections provide voice interactions while computers allow for the sharing of visuals and collaborative work. The computer screen is shared by more than one site, and used as an electronic blackboard, overhead projector or still video projector. Some systems allow for sharing software also.

Characteristics

• Simultaneous voice and visual interaction
• Low cost - transmission and hardware
• Very accessible. Uses 2 phone lines or 1 phone line and an Internet connection
• Fairly easy to use. Technology requires training and support at all locations
• High resolution images in many formats
• Electronic whiteboard and annotation capabilities

Advantages

• Many of the same as audio conferencing
• Peer to Peer
• Many file formats supported
• Images preshipped or file transfer
• Computer quality images
• Complex ideas easily developed

Challenges

• Many the same as audio conferencing
• Computer equipment and software require setup
• Significant time preparing images
• Multipoint requires a data bridge in addition to audio bridge

Tech Tips

• Training and content development must be done in advance
• Even when 1 phone line and the Internet is available for connections, have a spare phone line for data line backup
• Back up plan is audio supported by appropriate handouts - plan ahead.
• Conferencing sessions can be backed up on videotape.

Costs

• Telco costs are determined by who is your provider, how long you connect, and where you are connecting .
• Bridging - voice -> see audio, data requires a bridge (most people run their own). Service providers are coming (T120)

Teaching Tips  

• Plan ahead and send visuals to other sites if possible.
• Refer often to what you are doing in the process of teaching/communicating.
• Add sound clips.
• Elicit other voices either in presenting or in activities.
• Ask the group to do things; ask questions; respond to problems.

 Video Teleconference

• one-way video (TV broadcasts casts)

•  one-way video/2-way audio (TV plus phone connections)

• two-way video/audio/data (microwave, T1's, fiber-optics, phone) - compressed video/data

Often referred to as compressed video or two-way video. An Interactive video conference between 2 or more locations with live, animated image transmission and display.

Characteristics

• Simultaneous voice and visual interaction
• Requires high speed connections and video codec
• Video resolution is less than television
• Motion compensation causes some blurriness when images move or camera pans
• Can be easy to use. Requires site support and training at all locations

Advantages 

• Everyone hears and sees each other
• Greater degree of humanization and personalization
• Valuable nonverbal feedback possible
• Wide variety of inputs: camera, computer, slides, videotape, etc..
• H320 standards

Limitations

• Problem of avoiding the talking head
• Lower resolution video limits detail
• People may be uncomfortable being on camera
• Good quality audio may be difficult to achieve
• Requires technical support be available

Tech Tips

• While it is interactive video, good quality audio is still the most important
• In addition to special lines, rooms usually require fax lines and phone lines
• Common bandwidths

• 112K, using switch 56 service
• 128K , using ISDN service
• 1/4 T (336K or 384K)
• 1/2 T
• Full T, 1.5K
• DS-3 or full fiber at 45 Mbs

Costs are based on bandwidth used, time of day, distance called and the telecommunications provider you use. Low bandwidth (112K or 128K) costs $10-$25 per hour, per location. Full T may range from $55-$125 per hour.  

Teaching Tips  

Stay away from the "talking head!" Change Use the full advantage of some of the best that technology has to offer. Use videos, the document camera, other students, the computer, yourself, everything you can to keep the participant's attention on the screen. Talking heads talk, talk, talk. Thinking heads take advantage of every opportunity to use variety in sound, sight and touch.

Satellite Conferencing

One way videoconferencing from an origination site (uplink) to multiple receive sites (downlinks).  Satellite programs are best used in programming in which seeing the participants is not important to the program content or message. 

Characteristics: Receive sites interact during the conference via phone or fax.

• One way broadcast of audio and video signals which are relayed via a satellite which orbits the earth
• High quality video; broadcast television
• One site to many
• Signal may be either Ku-band or C-band
• Signal may be encrypted or open
• Expensive transmission and equipment

Advantages

• special event programs
• videotape recording of program for future use
• fixed costs regardless of the number of locations
• high quality video and audio
• reliable
• supplemental materials sent ahead

Challenges

• transmission quality of signal can be affected by weather
• high production costs
• live broadcast can be affected by technical problems
• transmission costs high
• requires a production studio  

    Tech Tips

• Know when the programs is being aired and what transponder the program is on
• Producing a program is a major event - needing a studio, trained production personnel and an uplink
• Plan ahead for transponder time
• Downlinked programs are dependent upon good produced programs - are you sure about the one you are signing up for
• Copyrights - an issue for all locations

Costs

• Uplink costs vary greatly: C- band may be $300-$600 an hour, Ku-band may be close to $1000.
• Downlinking program costs vary based upon the length of the program and the producer. Programs range from $150 to almost $1000 for a site. Some may require per person costs.

Teaching Tips

• Follow downlinked programs with a session to discuss the content.
• For more complex issues, follow the session with an audio conference led by an expert on the subject.
• Provide evaluation forms to identify gaps in the presentation.
• Make sure that participants have handouts to help them follow the discussion.
• Ask for questions before and during the first part of the conference to give presenters time to respond.
• Let people walk around if they need to, but try to keep participants focused.

Combinations

Combinations of media and approaches will best reach the greatest numbers of participants. A checklist with multiple intelligences listed can best give you a picture of how likely you are to reach people of different intelligences and learning styles.

If you cannot easily mix the media in one session, provide the same information in different forms so that participants can get the message in their own way.

Final Reminders

• Technology is a tool, not a master!
• Keep it simple and as cheap as you can while addressing the different intelligences through which people learn.
• Good instruction/communication is good instruction/communication! Don’t let technology divert you from your message.
• Keep asking about what distance ed is and what technologies are available and network with people who have the equipment.
• Mix media and change activities
• Be willing to jump in there and make mistakes. The process is at least as important as the outcome.
• Plan, Plan, Plan  as much as you can. Have plans A-Z, just in case the technology fails.

Where from Here?

Final comments and discussion on the use of technology in your environments.

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Leecy Wise
4CVRC Virtual Resource Center for Distance Learning
502 South Madison
Cortez, CO 81321
ph (970)565-1552
4cvrc@swadulted.com
http//www.swadulted.com