Virtual Classroom a Reality at NC State University

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A virtual classroom became reality at NC State University this fall for what may be the first time in the state. Students at the University of North Carolina-Asheville signed up for an engineering class offered by NC State, went to class on the Asheville campus and participated in class discussions with their instructor in Raleigh -- all via computer.

In an effort to make distance education both cost-effective and as close as possible to sitting in an actual classroom, NC State University's College of Engineering is testing ways to use the Internet to deliver distance education classes.

Dr. Tom Miller, assistant dean for information technology in the College of Engineering, and Kathy Hewitt, a graduate student in computer engineering, have developed a way to use Internet conferencing technology to conduct classes on-line with live video and real-time interaction between the professor and the students.

As a result, Dr. Gary Mirka, assistant professor of industrial engineering, is teaching an on-line class this fall. "We have been experimenting in the use of Internet conferencing technology for some time," said Miller. "Basically, what we have done is apply this technology to teaching."

Miller has been searching for alternatives to videotaping classes for remote students. One possibility he tested was to broadcast on-line classes using the N.C. Research and Education Network (NCREN) video network. But while that method allows real-time interaction, it also requires expensive videofeed equipment and personnel.

Instead, he chose to use Internet multimedia technology. NCREN offers high-quality Internet connectivity among the UNC system schools .

The pilot project being conducted in Mirka's class is supported by the Southern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education (SUCCEED), and uses the Virtual Multicast Backbone on the Internet (MBONE). This method does not require expensive video cameras, production personnel or a studio -- all of which are required by videotaped classes.

The new on-line course requires only minimal equipment -- multimedia desktop computers, minicameras and direct Internet access with a connection to the MBONE . In addition to the reduced cost of equipment, the bandwidth required on the network is significantly lower, making broadcasting via MBONE much more flexible and cost-efficient.

Unlike the videotaped version of the class, where students only see what the cameraman decides to show them, the on-line classroom is controlled by the students. By manipulating several windows on their computer screens, the UNC-Asheville students can see the professor, his notes, the white board (an on-screen version of the chalkboard) and see the other students in the class.

Homework is e-mailed to the professor before class. "There are some relatively minor transmission problems that occur from time to time, and it takes a little more work in the preparation for lectures, but overall it has been very successful," said Mirka. "As far as being a useful teaching tool, it will be very helpful to nontraditional students who may not be able to attend classes otherwise."

After the initial idea for conducting the on-line class took hold, graduate student Lee Anne Rettinger began investigating feasibility. After Rettinger graduated, Hewitt brought the idea to fruition. "It is very exciting to be in on the beginning of a new use for this technology," said Hewitt. "I have found other sites on the Internet where this technology is being used for teaching, but this class is the most interactive model I've found."

Mirka teaches his class, IE 544 Occupational Biomechanics, from a campus video studio at NC State, so the class also can be offered on videotape. The videotape can serve as backup for the on-line students. In addition to the Asheville students, the class is attended by students at NC State and by students across the state who watch videotapes of the class lecture and labs.

"I believe that the students present in the classroom still have a slight advantage over the on-line students," said Mirka, "but early indications from the on-line students show that they enjoy the interaction made possible by this technology. They can see me, hear me, ask me questions, and I can see them and ask them questions. And we can use the on-screen white board to work out problems. In most ways I treat them as though they were physically sitting in my classroom."

Students in Asheville as well as in Raleigh can log in during Mirka's office hours to ask questions and discuss problems with homework.

According to Miller, the success of the UNC-Asheville test class has led to planning for two more on-line classes at other UNC system schools, and the N.C. legislature has provided funding for the additional sites in the state to begin operation next fall.

"While on-line classrooms will not replace the traditional model where students attend classes with live professors, the on-line classes are a viable means of providing unique educational programming to students across the state," Miller said.

--weston--

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on the virtual classroom and a demonstration on the World Wide Web, access http://www.coe.ncsu.edu/news.releases/miller.dl.html.