Journal Name:
- The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education
| Author Name | University of Author |
|---|---|
Abstract (2. Language):
South Dakota has arguably the most technologically advanced educational
system in the United States. The state boasts a population of
approximately 750,000 residents, distributed across an area measuring
approximately 250 by 400 miles. South Dakota is experiencing a shortage
of specialist teachers and university faculty, and the vast geographical
distances prohibit the physical sharing of educational resources. To begin
to address these issues, every school, college and university in the state
has recently been connected with wide band communications cable, and
equipped with specialized telecommunications suites. The use of public
television broadcasting, videoconferencing, Internet based resources and
distance learning methods has been introduced in a rationalized attempt to
overcome the vast distances between schools and communities across a
predominantly rural state.
There is also a high percentage of Native Americans living in the state,
located in tribal reservation areas as well as integrated within the general
community. Because of social, economic or technological effects of any
significant changes often have a detrimental effect on indigenous
populations. The effectiveness of distance education and technology
supported learning then, is a hotly contended issue.
A major evaluation project was set up between 2002-2003 to measure the
success rate of the new technology based learning approaches, and the
extent to which the 'tyranny of distance' could be overcome. Surveys and
interviews with key instructors and administrators across the state were
conducted, which yielded a rich vein of data. In this paper, the authors
document the broader effects that the introduction of the technical
infrastructure has had on the general population of South Dakota.
Bookmark/Search this post with
- 1
76-83