Distance Learning

I'm not sure that this will help, but I work in an organization which has about 70 sites nationwide all connected via a Wide Area Network. We recently started using Centra to do training at remote sites. Keep in mind that most of the training we do is computer related. The product works well even across a WAN. It has some very nice features including the ability to have multiple instructors, or to let students take control of the on-screen application in order to make a point. Another nicefeature is that you can record Centra sessions so that you can re-play the instruction for future classes. During a Centra session, the instuctor can "share" any information he has access to on his computer.

You can get more information at www.centra.com.

Hope this helps!

I have done a considerable amount of study by distance learning over the last 18 years. At first is was paper with video and audio to suppliment it. that was fine but I had to work at it to make sure I got hold of the concepts. Then the addition of tutorials at my location was the innovation. This made lots of sense but dictated my timetable - I chose remote learning so this wouldn't happen. Another course had a one-to-one tutorial by phone - the tutor and I had to make sure our diaries matched. I have had short courses that have been online presentations without interaction with tutor or students - I found these harder work as I had to work on my own and spend a long time at the computer (after a day's work doing the same).

I have had a course where most of the work was done or submitted online and the interaction by email or online forums which didn't require me to login at a specific time. That worked well because I could schedule studies around other commitment while feelinginvolved.

VideoTeleconference really has the same problem to me as the online tutorial - it is a fixed time dictated by others. This can be made worse if the cohort are in different counties/time zones. You do get to put faces to names but it is still a little impersonal. You don't get the same interactions you get with real contat with people.