TEACHING VIA THE INTERNET

Because the authors recognized that there is a need for a different approach to higher education than the traditional means and that the emerging capabilities of technology might meet that need, they pursued a series of experiments in educational methods. Computer and communications technology have each developed in recent years to offer individual tools that have potential for improving the quality of education. Together, these tools generate a synergy that has even more potential. Messages easily composed and transmitted can obviate face-to-face meetings in faculty offices. Experts from afar can be drawn into virtual classrooms to stimulate deeper learning from extended interaction. Performance assessments can be collaborative and provided frequently to improve performance. Cross-cultural experiences can be shared in real or simulated encounters with foreign colleagues. In short, there are numerous techniques that need to be tested and developed to address the kinds of issues exposed in the Wingspread Report (Brock, 1993).