Distance Learning Between Two Countries: A Rationale For Distance Education Methodology

Systems Modeling, a graduate level course taught as a distance-learning course in the winter 2001 semester. Students at the University of Missouri-Columbia and students at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez engage in a Web-based course taught over the Internet. The course is primarily asynchronous with several synchronous online interactions between instructor and student throughout the course. Topics are divided into slide presentations with vocal commentary produced by the instructor. Each session is between ten and fifteen minutes in length with the scripted voice, images, and audio merged into one visual display. This is done using Real Media software. During the scheduled synchronous times the instructor hosts question and answer sessions. Both computers have touch screens with electronic pens to allow freehand drawing of equations and other information. Students and the instructor also converse in real time using Voice-over-IP. Students utilize e-mail, whiteboards, and message boards to contact the professor. Each presentation is available for downloading from the Internet and can be reviewed as necessary. Students scan homework and e-mail or either post their solutions to problems. Test materials are developed in a standard format and sent to the site where the exams are locally distributed and proctored. The design features two servers, one local for students and one remote for remote use and maintenance of the course. Real-time text and graphic interaction and exchange will take place permitting the archiving and storage of important interchanges of materials. Technicians will resolve software problems via remote access of the servers and software. Assessment of the course entail early surveys and evaluation tools used to determine how to best improve the course, mid surveys and tools to evaluate the improvements and other potential or newly developed problems, and an assessment of the course at the end.