Before On Line anything, the term used for similar instruction was called Distance Education. Distance Education was used years ago to describe any material taught in locations other than the traditional class room setting. Distance Education included Extension Classes taught off campus in nearby communities and was also offered with a video connection from the instructor on campus to another site or with the instructor traveling to the off campus site. As technology began to advance with the establishment of the Internet, more and more classes were taught through this video format. While teaching at the University of Northern Iowa, I was very active within our department in the use of this newest concept of Distant Education as well as teaching off campus settings.
While at UNI, I was asked to serve on the president’s (UNI’s president not the other one) committee and our charge was to look into the possibilities of establishing Distance Education classes offered by our University. My interest in the use of technology in education at that time was already established before the development of the Internet. I remember being asked for my prediction as to the best example, at that time, of the best use of Distance Education and I predict that the University of Phoenix would lead the nation in On Line Education. This was just another of my many prediction to come true. At that same time I could have arguably been the first instructor to be using On Line testing which included remote testing, instant scoring and notification of score in the students and instructors Email. This cutting edge testing, scoring and notification program was made possible through the genius of a very hip tech by the name of Scott Chidester (our son). Scott also has the distinction of developing and implementing the first live video broadcast of a concert over the Internet (sure is nice to have such talented kids to draw from).
It was exciting to be part of distance education through the medium of the Internet and from this background I have viewed many wonderful uses as well as misuses of this form of distance education.
Here are just a few of the advantages of trumpet lessons taught through the medium of the Internet-
• Every student has access to many great teachers
• The number of students and instructors in this virtual world is limitless
• Students in less accessible areas are able to take lessons
• Lesson times are more flexible than if being on campus
• Travel expenses are cut to a minimum
And here are a few of the disadvantages of Internet lessons-
• Many instructor on the Internet are less than adequate teachers
• Students lack the up close and personal feel which is present in a regular lesson
• Until recently, technical hardware/software was not as developed as it should have been
• Taking lessons on line requires a better than average knowledge of the hardware/software used during lessons
• Many instructors teach as if the student were in the same room and because of this “old school” approach they are not taking advantages of the technology available.
Distance education through the medium of the internet has great potential and in our next post we will describe a few of the different methods with which a student may benefit from this development in technology.
