Educational Instruction Via Interactive Video Network

Technology has produced another alternative: the use of interactive video networks (Whisler, 1988). Rural schools interact with other schools via interactive video networks--a type of distance learning. Distance learning is characterized by the use of technology to link instructors and learners who are physically apart from one another (Hughes, 1988). McClelland (1987) reported that young people in small public high schools in sparsely populated areas experience barriers to taking courses such as vocational education, foreign languages, and advanced mathematics and science because these schools cannot afford to provide a large array of specialized courses. Educational programs in the United States are constantly being monitored and often come under criticism that calls for improvements to keep abreast of advancements in today’s society. More specifically, the discipline of agricultural education is being monitored and evaluated to determine changes needed to keep pace with technology in agriculture (National Research Council, 1988).