Bleeding on the Edge: Experiences from Teaching a Multimedia-Rich Course over the Internet

A recent master's level course in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations at Illinois State University pushed the envelope on using instructional Internet technologies. This course utilized several in-person sessions (both onand off-campus), e-mail, and a dedicated World Wide Web site. The majority of classes were held over the Internet using CU-SeeMe client and server software. Certain experiences (e.g., installing and configuring new software, training students to use the software, and back-up methods of instruction) were anticipated, while others had to be dealt with "on the fly" (e.g., incompatible hardware, Internet propagation delays, and synchronizing audio and video) . Instructors contemplating this mode of content delivery need to be aware of the benefits and costs, especially in terms of time for instructor and student training, multiple modality and error-alternative preparation, and practice. The following conclusions are presented: (1) instructors and students need a lot of time to become familiar with the technology; (2) instructors need to plan for the unexpected and have alternative and backup methods for delivering course content; (3) instructors need to create multiple/repetitive modes of content delivery; and (4) instructors and students need to be relatively technically savvy as well as highly fault tolerant. (AEF) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Bleeding on the Edge: Experiences from Teaching a Multimedia-Rich Course over the Internet Dr. Jeffrey B. Hecht The Technological Innovations in Educational Research Laboratory Department of Educational Administration and Foundations Illinois State University Normal, Illinois 61790-5900 jbl_Leclu.edu Dr. Perry L. Schoon Department of Educational Technology and Research 3970 RCA Blvd, Suite 721013 Florida Atlantic University Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 A paper presented at Webnet 98: World Conference of the WWW, Internet, and Intranet Orlando, Florida November 10, 1998 "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS rMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY