HR: 0800h
AN: ED11B-1101    [Abstracts]
TI: Teleducation : Linking Continents Across Time and Space Through Live, Real-Time Interactive Classes
AU: * Macko, S A
EM: sam8f@virginia.edu
AF: University of Virginia, Department of Environmental Sciences, Charlottesville, VA 22903 United States
AU: Szuba, T
ED11B-1101 AF: University of Virginia, Department of Environmental Sciences, Charlottesville, VA 22903 United States
AU: Swap, R
ED11B-1101 AF: University of Virginia, Department of Environmental Sciences, Charlottesville, VA 22903 United States
AU: Annegarn, H
ED11B-1101 AF: University of the Witwatersrand, School of Geosciences, Johannesburg, WITS 2050 South Africa
AU: Marjanovic, B
ED11B-1101 AF: University of the Witwatersrand, School of Geosciences, Johannesburg, WITS 2050 South Africa
AU: Vieira, F
ED11B-1101 AF: University of Eduardo Mondlane, Faculty of Science, Maputo, 01 Mozambique
AU: Brito, R
ED11B-1101 AF: University of Eduardo Mondlane, Faculty of Science, Maputo, 01 Mozambique
AB: International education is a natural extension of global economies, global environmental concerns, and global science. While faculty and student exchanges between geographic areas permit for educational experiences and cultural exchanges for the privileged few, distance learning offers opportunities for educational exchanges under any circumstance where time, expense, or location otherwise inhibit offering or taking a particular course of study. However, there are severe pedagogical limitations to traditional Web-based courses that suffer from a lack of personalized, spontaneous exchange between instructor and student. The technology to establish a real time, interactive teleducation program exists, but to our knowledge is relatively untested in a science classroom situation, especially internationally over great distances. In a project to evaluate this type of linkage, we offered a real-time, interactive class at three separate universities, which communicated instantaneously across an ocean at a distance of greater than 8,000 miles and seven time zones. The course, 'Seminar on the Ecology of African Savannas', consisted of a series of 11 lectures originating in either Mozambique (University of Eduardo Mondlane), South Africa (University of the Witwatersrand) or the United States (University of Virginia). We combined ISDN, internet and satellite linkages to facilitate the lectures and real time discussions between instructors and approximately 200 university students in the three countries. Although numerous technical, logistical, and pedagogical issues - both expected and unexpected - arose throughout the pilot year, the project can be viewed as overwhelmingly successful and certainly serves as proof-of-concept for future initiatives, both internationally and locally. This review of our experience will help to prepare other students, faculty, and institutions interested in establishing or developing international education initiatives
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 0830 Teacher training
DE: 0845 Instructional tools
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005