Simply
stated, distance learning programs operate on services designed to link
teachers with students. In the business world, such services which exist
to link product providers with product consumers are
called 'distribution channels.' To be effective, these channels must
change and adapt as products, providers, and consumers evolve. In the
same way, effective distance learning programs constantly adapt their
technologies and techniques to reach dynamic instructor and student
populations.
We categorize NETnet
services into three functional areas: (1) content, (2) communications,
and (3) coordination. Following the business example, our members’
educational content is our product, communication technologies are our
distribution channels, and end-user coordination is the constant process
by which we translate student and instructor need into new services.
CONTENT
Although NETnet is not a college, we provide services to our member
colleges and universities to make it easier for them to offer online
and interactive videoconferencing (ITV) courses
and degree programs. Our 15 members provide in excess of 200 ITV
courses, over 300 online courses, and a wide variety of telecourses.
In addition, many complete degree programs are available either online,
via ITV, or using some combination of distance delivery methods. The
variety of courses offered by our members means that there's something
for everyone - credit, non-credit, and
technological certifications for students of all
ages, professional development and continuing education courses
for adult or returning students, and dual credit courses for high school
students.
COMMUNICATIONS
NETnet communications services are based on numerous technologies that
combine into three basic functions.
First,
we aggregate telecommunications services. This may sound complex,
but it really means that we serve as a meeting point. Our members
use telecommunications technologies such as T1 lines, fiber optics,
and wireless networks to connect outside their campuses to share courses
and expertise. For students and patients, this is a great concept
since it means they can access not one, but multiple
organizations to get the information they need without
driving hundreds of miles to get it. In fact, telecommunication services
are the heart of information distribution channels that you probably
use every day and take for granted – things like internet web
sites, online shopping, and the ubiquitous email. But every distribution
channel has to have a meeting point. For the NETnet members and a
growing number of locations throughout East Texas, the NETnet Center
for Educational Technologies is that meeting place.
Second,
we centralize bridging services. Any good meeting has a purpose, and
our purpose in aggregating telecommunication services is to connect
(bridge) these links to some useful resources. You could look at it
this way – once everyone meets at the NETnet building, we divide
people with common interests into “meeting rooms”.
Data is one of our
large meeting rooms. In this area, we link our members who want to
provide online courses with internet service providers. We connect
members of multi-campus systems (Texas A&M, for example) together
so they can share resource and information with the other members
of their system. We also connect our network with other state, national
or worldwide networks so the citizens and communities of east Texas
can literally access the world of information through a local member
institution.
Video is another of
our large meeting rooms. In this area, members using video conference
technologies can connect instructors or healthcare providers to students
and patients tens, hundreds, or even thousands of miles away. Just
as in a normal conversation, each site can see, hear, and speak live,
in real time, with other sites. Dozens of these conversations happen
daily, usually at the same time. A doctor can consult with a remote
patient while a teacher at a college instructs three remote classrooms
full of students at three separate high schools. The more sites we
aggregate, the more services we bridge. The more services we bridge,
the more resources become available. It’s a very exciting process
that requires a third service.
Third,
we aggregate technical and administrative support services. Although
the explanation is relatively simple, the underlying technology is
extremely complex. As in any good meeting, someone has to serve as
a moderator to keep things running smoothly. Each NETnet staff member
is a gifted professional with specific coordination skills. As a result,
a person that uses our system can always get the assistance they need
from one location – whether they have a question related to
project funding, want to be trained to use the video conference room,
are ready to schedule an event, or need assistance during a broadcast.
On a daily basis, we provide assistance to dozens of facilities via
phone, email, and video conference. Many of the people we work with
have never met us in person, yet they know we understand their needs
and know where to find answers. For our members, these support services
exist to take a complex thing and make it simple again.
COORDINATION
One of the early objectives
for the Northeast Texas Consortium was to serve as a “information
clearinghouse” where distance learning resources were gathered,
sorted, and re-distributed. As a result, one of the first actions of
the NETnet Administrative Board in 1996 was to create a NETnet coordinating
office to supervise the initial network project. From that beginning,
the NETnet’s coordination efforts have expanded to include grant/financial
management, consulting, technology and curriculum design, project management,
training, and marketing. In the same way NETnet became an east Texas
meeting place for technology, NETnet is also becoming an information
clearinghouse for its membership – participating in regional,
state and national planning, creating technical and staff development
opportunities, and sharing the best of what it learns from distance
learning professionals throughout the state. In this capacity, NETnet
can assist its members and their affiliates in focusing their limited
time and resources toward technology-enhanced education and healthcare
initiatives that will most directly benefit their citizens and communities. |
