Faculty Directions, Spring 2003 - HEHD Faculty Members Bridge Time and Location
Barbara Weaver
Educational Technology Services
A collaborative and innovative project of the College of Health, Education and Human Development (HEHD) is the Distributed Learning Environment (DLE). Initially, five faculty members, Dr. Tony Cawthon, (counseling), Dr. Pamela Havice (counseling) Dr. Nancy Meehan (nursing), and Dr. Clinton Isbell (technology and human resource development) formed a team to design and teach courses that bridge distance and time by integrating video conferencing, videotape, interactive television, electronic mail, and Web-based instruction with teaching approaches such as collaboration, discovery learning, problem solving, and active learning.
Two Tillman Hall classrooms, the Computer Assisted Classroom and the Video Teletraining Classroom, were designed especially for the DLE faculty and students. The Computer Assisted Classroom has 18 student computer workstations, an instructor workstation, two-way videoconferencing, a laser printer, a fax machine, and over 2000 courseware titles. The Video Teletraining Classroom has an instructor workstation, videoconferencing, seating for 12 students, and a visual presenter.
The five original DLE faculty members were also awarded laptop computers last summer to facilitate their collaboration and to integrate laptop technology into the distributed learning environment. The focus of this group, though, is not
hardware.
HEHD Associate Dean William Havice explains that the group's focus is "distributing information anywhere, with no boundaries. We want to use technology effectively to enhance the learning process."
Pam Havice explains that teaching in the distributed learning environment changes the role of the instructor to a facilitator, an experience that creates learning on the part of the instructor as well. The instructor leads the students to construct their own knowledge base and, through that process, the instructor learns new teaching techniques, mentoring skills, and more.
Meehan agrees that teaching with technology helps the instructor develop innovative teaching techniques. She also points out that DLE increases contact between the instructor and students, which leads to stronger relationships that benefit both the instructor and the students.
Another benefit students gain through DLE is exposure to technology early in the educational process; the students' level of experience with technology makes them more marketable, says Isbell.
Clemson University staff members in the Office of Off-Campus, Distance and Continuing Education (ODCE) and the University Center in Greenville have also played an important role in supporting DLE. A separate ODCE initiative has resulted in the development of a 12-week faculty Online Workshop. Faculty members who are selected and then attend the workshop commit to teach an online course during the next semester. ODCE also provides professional instructional development and media resources consultation and support in course development, creating videotapes, CDs, and online course materials, as well as in facilitating on-site class meetings and testing, as determined by the course design.
ODCE staff members provide a wealth of experience in designing, developing and delivering distributed learning courses. In addition to the Tillman Hall classrooms used by the HEHD DLE faculty, Dr. Paul Adams, director of E-education, ODCE, notes videoconferencing and satellite classrooms are available in Riggs, Rhodes, Edwards, and Earle. ODCE staff members assist Clemson University departments and faculty members with the development of credit and contract courses for delivery statewide, nationally, and internationally. Telecampus/ODCE services have been offered since 1988 and have resulted in the development and delivery of more than 300 quality distance/distributed learning courses. In addition, during spring and summer 2002, ODCE assisted in the development and delivery of seven new online courses that were delivered to Clemson University students who were off-campus and at home during the summer sessions.
Distributed learning, as a concept, is growing at Clemson University. In HEHD, the original five faculty members who came together to explore the possibilities have now been joined by other HEHD faculty: Dr. Beatrice Bailey (curriculum and instruction), Dr. Rebecca Carr (nursing), Dr. Barbara Holder (nursing), Dr. Jessyna McDonald (PRTM), and Dr. Thomas Potts (PRTM). They have formed the HEHD Distributed Learning Roundtable that meets during lunch on Fridays usually once a month. Their goal is to learn from one another's experiences as they work to provide excellent learning opportunities that create "digital bridges" across South Carolina and beyond.
Bill Havice says, "We've had some wonderful collaboration and positive energy towards the use of emerging technology. The roundtable lets faculty know they are not alone, that they can rely on one another's expertise in moving forward with utilizing technology in their curriculum. By sharing ideas and collaborating, the whole group becomes stronger.
"We're on the right track."