FAQ’s
About Distance Education
Q:
What is distance education?
Q:
What are the formats for distance
education?
Q:
What is satellite conferencing?
Q:
What are the pros and cons of
satellite conferencing?
Q:
What is webcasting?
Q:
What are the pros and cons of
viewing webcasts?
Q:
Are
continuing education units (CEU’s)
available for distance education?
::
History
of distance education
Q:
What is distance education?
A:
Any educational medium in which
the instructor separates the
learner.
Q:
What are the formats for distance
education?
A:
Printed correspondence courses,
cable television, audio and
video conferencing, cable television,
CD/DVD/VHS, satellite conferencing,
and computer based training
including webcasts.
Q:
What is satellite conferencing?
A:
Satellite conferencing, broadcast,
telecast, link, downlink, or
uplink can be used to describe
the process of acquiring a
video feed from a space satellite
for unlimited reception within
a public domain.
Q:
What are the pros and cons
of satellite conferencing?
A:
Pros – very
cost effective, many programs
available, live interaction
with instructor and participants,
can be taped for later viewing,
participants not required
to have technical skills.
Cons – may
have limited time for questions
and answers, no one-on-one
time with instructor/participant,
production time and costs
may be extensive.
Q:
What is webcasting?
A:
Webcasting, webcast, or webstreaming
is a video file in which viewers
can view live and archived
video feeds from the convenience
of their personal computer
using
a high-speed internet connection
and a media player such as
Windows Media Player® or
RealPlayer® .
Q:
What are the pros and cons
of viewing webcasts?
A:
Pros – Extremely
cost effective, excellent
for large numbers at unlimited
locations, very interactive,
content can be updated, online
technical assistance is available.
Cons – Connectivity
and speed, hardware availability,
software and individual
competency, and program
visual aids.
Q:
Are continuing education units
(CEU’s)
available for distance education?
A:
Yes, many public health related
distance education training
programs are CEU providers.
History
of distance education
• 1436 – Gutenberg
(Printing Press)
• 1775 – Continental
Congress (Mail System)
• 1876 – Bell (Telephone)
• 1920’s – Farnsworth
(Television)
• 1950’s – Ampex
(Videotape Recorder)
• 1957 – Sputnik
(Satellite)
• 1980’s – Apple
(Home Computers)
Source:
Smith, Michael: Technical Aspects
of Distance Learning.
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