1. Siripong “PONG” Malasri School of Engineering
Supplementing Traditional Teaching & Learning With Distance Education Technology
Siripong “PONG” Malasri
School of Engineering

2. Outline ENGM 624 Course Info & Format Course Materials
Student Technology Survey Results
Conclusions
Q&A

3. ENGM 624 Course Info & Format
ENGM 624 Knowledge Engineering
Summer 2000 – 15 students
Knowledge Acquisition & Knowledge Systems (Expert Systems, Artificial Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms, and Hypermedia Systems)
80% Face-to-Face, 20% Virtual

23. Student Info: Age & Experience

24. Student Info: Income & IT Experience

25. Rating Scale The technology should not be used at all.
The technology should be used less than the current level.
The technology should be used at the current level.
The technology should be used more than the current level.

26. Average Rating

27. CD-ROM Pros High storage capacity Compact/portable
Efficient reference materials
Interactive
Save paper
Cons
Difficult to revise
Not easily accessible
Easily damaged
Expensive
Time-consuming

28. Web Page Pros Excellent source of info Convenient/accessible
Easy to access class info and latest updates
Eliminates paper
Communicates all course materials
Sets expectations
Cons
Server was down a few times
Company firewalls cause access problems
No security
Limited interactive applications
Compatibility problems
Quality/quantity of data

29. E-mail Pros Rapid communication
Convenient (Beats face-to-face office hours)
Easiest way to reach some students
Great way to stay informed
Speeds up schedule
Cons
Reliant on functional network
Always has limited quota

30. Bulletin Board Pros Review chat room discussions Can post any message
Great resource to disseminate information
Good for catching up on missed discussions and keep updated at all times
Cons
Need to inform user when posting message
Web access is sometimes unavailable
Not utilized to full potential

31. Chat Room Pros Out-of-town guest lecturers
Easy access so that class attendance wasn’t necessary
Good for Q&A for pre-read material
Enables meeting at “abnormal” times
Very fun and informative
Cons
A 2-day a week class turned into a 4-day a week class
Incompatible with corporate firewalls
Difficult to control
Need typing in the message
Traffic jams during the discussion

32. 2-Way Video Conferencing
Pros
Live off-site instruction
Allows lecture without teacher present
Better than just audio
Interactive, interesting, useful, and innovative
Convenient
Cons
More expensive
Interaction without instructor
Classroom environment not available

33. Opportunities for Improvements
Commercial program demos on CD
CD-RW
Video streaming on Web page
Announcing server downtime
Updating students when new information is posted on website
Establishing bulletin board as the center of class communication

34. Opportunities (cont.) Longer but less frequent chat room sessions
More cameras/microphones for 2-way video conferencing room
Using 2-way video in other courses
More use of , bulletin board, and 2-way video conferencing
Online testing be made available

35. Graduating Senior Survey
78. In recent years, many universities/colleges have offered on-line courses via the Internet, in which students do not have to attend class. What is your preferred course delivery method
27% (1) I prefer traditional face-to-face instruction.
53% (2) I prefer traditional face-to-face instruction with on-line
supplement.
6% (3) I prefer on-line instruction.
6% (4) I don't mind taking courses using either delivery method.
9% (5) I don't have the ability to judge at this time.

36. Conclusions Benefits of technology:
Better communication
Flexible class time and office hours
Out-of-town guest speakers/instructors
Interactive
Ease of updating course information
Now, students embrace the technology. Future, students expect the technology?
Prepare us for distance education

37. Use of New Technology
Most companies make the mistake of asking, “How can they use new technology to make their old processes work better?”
Instead, they should be asking, “How can we use technology to allow us to do things that we are not already doing?”
Michael Hammer & James Champy, Reengineering the Corporation:
A Manifesto for Business Revolution, HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.

38. Q&A