Have You Heard of Surrounds? - In the Focus article this month, Simone Conceição-Runlee discusses using several types of online software to create an online course. Some instructors are also using software to provide this type of experience for face-to-face traditional classrooms. Elliott Masie, in a recent article in his newsletter TechLearn Trends, calls this 'building Surrounds.' "A large number of higher education institutions as well as corporate training groups, are using on-line authoring and delivery systems to build an internet/intranet meeting place for their instructor led (traditional) classes. These on-line (sessions) are being used to provide community, communication and instructional supplemental material for the classes. Several universities are now making it a standard for every class to have its own web based content and collaboration equivalent.

There are great signs in this trend. It helps to build learner acceptance and familiarity with the interface of on-line learning. As people get comfortable with this delivery model as an adjunct to instructor led programs, they will also increase their willingness to take pure on-line delivery offerings. It is also a great way to introduce faculty to the process of using on-line authoring tools.

The range of functions include chat, threaded discussion, grade viewing, assignment dispensing, streamed multi-media, assessment tools and the full set of learning options used in other distance learning programs." (Masie, TechTrends, Feb 99)

 

Distance Education Clearinghouse
Instructional Design at Instructional Communications Systems
Training for Videconferencing

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Last Updated: January 2006