from VCCA Journal, Volume 10, Number 2, Summer 1996, 22-27
© Copyright 1996 VCCA Journal
Reaching students is no longer limited to the institution s service region. Greater emphasis is being placed on accessibility of educational programs for students who do not always have the means or the time to take advantage of course offerings on a college or university campus. Some needed courses or training may not even be available at the nearest institutions.
Employment standards are also encouraging and mandating that work skills and education be upgraded. Some of the standards allow for in-service training and seminars while others require college credits. However, a company may not be able to permit release time for employees to take advantage of traditional class offerings. Students already employed and those who for other reasons are confined to their home areas must be able to conveniently enroll, study, and prepare for their vocations near their homes. A primary purpose of telecourses is to provide educational opportunities to those not presently served by traditional classroom offerings, and accessibility is a driving force behind the move to provide such courses.
With the growing availability of technology, the development of telecourses has been a natural outgrowth of these concerns. The roots of a quality education can still be maintained; there is only a change in how it is delivered. It has long been understood that bringing visual aids to the classroom enhances the learning that takes place, and well planned and produced telecourses can provide the student with such aids.
Getting Started
Those interested in developing or expanding telecourse offerings must begin with institutional support. There are likely to be some concerns about the quality of such offerings and whether they tend to displace students from the traditional classroom setting. While some students may prefer to take a telecourse instead of a classroom course for the sake of convenience, this does not necessarily imply a threat to maintaining adequate head counts in classes--especially when telecourses target a special market that otherwise is not being served. Simply put, educational institutions that are serious about serving the various needs of their communities must consider the benefits of quality offerings through telecourses.
For many institutions, telecourses are new. There are many questions of how to begin and how to produce quality results. As with most undertakings, it is imperative that you begin with accurate and adequate information.
Consultants can be especially helpful in guiding the individual and the institution through the process of developing a new service. These consultants may be found in professional audio-video production services or institutions. Their experience and expertise can guide the college through the initial development of telecourses and on to elaborate productions.
Colleges already involved in producing quality telecourses are also an excellent source of information regarding the possibilities for such course offerings. Most colleges will be delighted to show you their facilities and provide suggestions. However, the consultant will more likely be able to provide a greater degree of on-site guidance.
To carry out plans for the production of telecourses, you must have the support of the administration and of a number of faculty who may have appropriate course offerings.
Grants and Funding
It may be necessary to identify funding resources beyond the college s existing budget. Grants can provide opportunities to develop new educational services or to expand current offerings. Funding may come from government agencies, businesses, industries, foundations, and individuals.
Start-up funds may be acquired through special grants geared toward distance education. Matching funds may be requested when some institutional funds are available but are not adequate to fully implement the project.
Persistence is usually necessary in order to identity and acquire outside funding. Multiple funding sources may also be considered and pursued to obtain start-up funds or for expanding the various stages of development. Many institutions begin with what they consider to be an acceptable minimum level of funding and equipment, and over time they expand as goals are met, changed, or extended.
Equipment and Facilities
Decisions about equipment should be made with the assistance of those who are experts in the field--not only knowledgeable about the features and functioning of the equipment, but also about the needs that arise when producing telecourses. In the beginning, purchasing the ideal equipment may not be possible, but plans may be drawn to develop video production capabilities in stages. Each stage may expand the possibilities of what can be done and how it is done; and along the way, one should keep the ultimate goals of the institution in mind and allow for flexibility as needs and interest may change.
For quality productions, there is a minimum investment needed for equipment to get started--and cutting corners on the quality of the productions should not be considered. Because of the advanced level of technology in our society, audiences are accustomed to high-caliber visual and audio presentations and do not respond well to low budget educational programming. For example, a common camcorder is not an acceptable tool since there is a significant loss of quality during not only the taping, but also during the editing and copying process.
Some considerations for equipment and facilities would include the following.
Due to the rapid changes and improvements in technology, decisions on what to purchase must be guided by current product availability and advancements as well as knowledge of what is being developed in the field. The equipment list will also be influenced by what is to be accomplished. Once the basic equipment is acquired, imagination and cooperation contribute greatly to high-quality telecourses.
Personnel
A college that is serious about developing and producing quality telecourses must hire a television production specialist with a degree in broadcast communications or comparable experience in television productions. Technical talent and the ability to envision the end product are needed to achieve real quality. Of course, additional production skills and personnel will be necessary as the college expands its capabilities.
An alternative to hiring personnel is contracting the work out to an audio-visual production service. This may be a more desirable option if the college is interested in testing the possibility of developing telecourses. Professional equipment and personnel are a must for quality productions, and a college should not attempt such a task with amateurs. The production and editing specialists are able to incorporate slides, photos, additional footage, graphics, or music whenever needed to enhance the instructional quality. Such add-ins--which are often not easily provided in classroom settings--are a particular strength of telecourse presentations.
Questions and Considerations
A primary consideration in producing telecourses is to maintain the same academic rigor and quality found in the more traditional delivery modes. Printed materials which accompany the video portion of the telecourse must adequately guide the student toward successful completion of the requirements.
Of course, telecourses are not for all students. Many students function best in a traditional classroom setting. Others are self-motivated and can experience quality learning and success through the use of videos. How well a video serves either sort of student depends on its quality and content. And while interaction between the instructor and student is important in any setting, the benefits of such interaction are not automatically or completely eliminated with telecourses since student access to the instructor can be arranged. Furthermore, the instructor s experience in teaching will often provide sufficient insight into the questions usually raised by students, and the answers to those questions should be incorporated into the video. Diversity of opinion on course topics is also important and can be included through interviews or presentations by others. Indeed, much of the concern about the reduced interaction between the instructor and the student in telecourses can be resolved by making the content as comprehensive as possible. This approach also recognizes that students enrolled in a telecourse may not have access to the additional resources available to local students.
For most students, the learning that takes place in telecourses is comparable to that which occurs in the classroom because of a special advantage videos provide: students can play/review the video multiple times and gain greater exposure to content than they might receive through a classroom lecture.
Finally, the length of each lesson must also be considered. A telecourse time of 28 minutes is usually desirable and opens the possibility of broadcasting through public television stations and satellite delivery systems.
Developing the Telecourse: The Academic Perspective
Moving from classroom teaching to telecourse productions requires commitment, persistence, and time. Faculty may also have to overcome apprehensions regarding the presence of the camera and being video taped.
The individuals providing the content for a telecourse are considered the experts on its topic. They must also have the willingness to participate in the development of the telecourse and some insight into the world of production. They will ultimately become the on-camera performers.
To become comfortable with teaching before the camera, instructors will benefit from practice or training sessions. Teaching with the absence of students may not be easy for some. Faculty can, however, maintain flexibility and mobility when teaching before the camera. The use of teleprompters can also simplify covering content without the use of visible notes.
During taping, a chroma key can provide the illusion that the instructor is in another location when presenting a lecture, and set designs can intensify the "atmosphere" of the content.
Instructors who do not want to deliver their own courses before a camera may find other instructors willing to stand in for them and present their material.
Adequate time must be provided for a quality product. A teacher does not simply move from the classroom and deliver the content before a camera. How much additional time is needed depends on what the instructor intends to include in the video course. Incorporating interviews, scenarios, graphics, etc., will take additional time.
Several approaches were taken to make our recently produced Law Enforcement Psychology telecourse comprehensive. Outside professionals in the field of law enforcement and police psychology were called upon, and many offered their expertise on the varied subject matter. Some participated in scenarios to illustrate and emphasize some of the content. Most provided interviews relating to each of the topic areas, and these interviews were edited into the lecture at the appropriate times. This not only enhanced the content, but also provided a more professional telecourse.
Making It Work
The institution and the instructor will need to consider such aspects of the administration of the telecourse as the following.
Marketing
To maintain adequate enrollment, many institutions are finding that it is necessary to discover new markets. Distance education is a means of accomplishing just that. Telecourses can reach local, regional, and national markets. Some institutions are reaching even further into international markets.
Most telecourses are listed in the college s course schedule and identified either by course code/section number or by a special heading. Additional strategies may be desirable for telecourses. If the subject focuses on a particular occupation, industry, or service, those areas or groups can be targeted. For example, the Law Enforcement Psychology telecourse targeted law enforcement officers, agencies, and training facilities. In the case of law enforcement officers, many will not only receive college credit by enrolling in the telecourse; they will also receive training credit with their agency upon completion of the course.
Telecourses may also be accessed through learning labs. They can be transferred to a CD-ROM master and put on a network to be accessed by computer terminals. Tests can be included on the CD- ROM.
Personnel in other areas of the institution will be helpful in developing a marketing strategy. These may include individuals in the business department, public relations, human resources, and others with special interests or projects.
Where Are You Headed?
Future Possibilities
Many colleges are already developing telecourses, and their interest is in the new opportunities that are available in production and distribution. In addition, more effort and encouragement is being applied toward wider faculty participation.
Telecourses which have broad appeal may be considered for licensing. This provides other institutions with the option of using the telecourse. Contracts addressing the rights and limitations of both institutions would need to be drafted.
New technology is continually expanding the opportunities for the production and use of telecourses. Available funding may apply some limitations as to what can be done. Generally, though, the imagination of the institution will determine what is accomplished through telecourse production.
When produced in a professional environment by faculty committed to ensuring quality distance education, the telecourse can enhance a college s ability to serve the educational needs of students in the service region and beyond.
Charles Boling is Instructional Designer/Technologist for the Center of Distance Education and teaches broadcasting classes in television and radio production at Southwest Virginia Community College. He has been involved in the design and development of several telecourses, including History 121-122, Math 163-164, PSY 231, PSY 250, STD 100, and BUS 100.
Alice Brown is in the Humanities and Social Sciences Division at the college.