Internet Based Class Presentations To Enhance Distance Engineering Degree Programs

In this time of rapidly changing technology, the delivery mechanisms for educational programs are constantly evolving. Distance education has become more readily available, and the nontraditional student now has enhanced opportunities in many academic fields. In 1989 the school of Engineering and Mines (SEM) at the University of North Dakota established a distance education program to deliver Bachelor of Science engineering degrees to employees of participating companies. This program was known as the Corporate Engineering Degree Program and has recently expanded into open enrollments and renamed the Distance Engineering Degree Program (DEDP). Currently the DEDP offers the only ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited undergraduate engineering programs at a distance. The current DEDP delivery format includes videotaped lectures, static Internet Web pages of handouts, e-mail, and on-campus condensed summer laboratories. This delivery format ensures that each distance student receives the exact same content as the on-campus program. Major limitations of the program include the inherent delay in students receiving the videotapes, and the asynchronous problems for faculty handling on-campus and distance students in the same class. To shorten the delay in the lecture delivery times, the authors have tested and examined various ways to utilize the power of the Web to synchronize and to better integrate the DEDP student activities with their on-campus counter parts. This paper presents details, procedures, and demonstrations of delivery methods involving text, video and audio capturing software for a spring 2002 Electrical Engineering course. Additional courses in electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering are being delivered in this format in the 2002/2003 academic year.