Taking distance education to the next level

A major advance in distance education was initiated this fall in a specially equipped classroom at the Harvard Extension School. Classes held there give online students the ability to view on-campus lectures in real-time and actually take part in classroom discussions. The facility also serves as an experimental locus to test distance education teaching methods and technology. One of the extraordinary benefits of the $1 million in state-of-the-art equipment is that several courses can be taught at the same time.

The Extension School is among a small number of institutions across the country offering streaming video of college courses. Taking this unique delivery to the next level, the new facility will permit online students from around the world to learn and participate in class as if they were on campus.

The Extension School currently offers more than 100 open enrollment courses online, 25 of which are recorded lectures of Harvard College daytime courses.

“Everyone at Harvard is excited about the potential for more sophisticated and innovative distance teaching at the University and the addition of this state-of-the-art facility,” says Michael Shinagel, dean of the Harvard Division of Continuing Education and the Harvard Extension School. This fall, 16 Extension School courses and numerous course sections are being held in the new facility, accommodating more than 200 on-campus students and hundreds more online.

Located at the corner of Brattle and Story streets, the facility has five dedicated classrooms, each with seating for 30 to 48 students. Four ceiling cameras strategically positioned around the classroom, along with imbedded ceiling microphones, are designed so as not to interfere with in-class learning. The camera operators, in discreetly located booths, are not visible. The technology records student comments that occur naturally in class, giving online students the ability to hear and interact with on-campus students immediately.

Classrooms are designed so that the faculty member can focus on teaching without distractions from the technology. The facility is distinguished by high-end features and functions such as two-way video-conferencing, assistive technology devices for hearing-impaired students, studio-quality audio and video recording and mixing equipment, high-resolution classroom displays, and the ability to stream lectures in real time. It incorporates more than five miles of wire.

The classrooms will teach in more ways than one. “The facility will function as a laboratory for innovative teaching and learning initiatives in the years ahead,” says Len Evenchik, assistant dean for Distance and Innovative Education.

A major advance in distance education was initiated this fall in a specially equipped classroom at the Harvard Extension School. Classes held there give online students the ability to view on-campus lectures in real-time and actually take part in classroom discussions. The facility also serves as an experimental locus to test distance education teaching methods and technology. One of the extraordinary benefits of the $1 million in state-of-the-art equipment is that several courses can be taught at the same time.

The Extension School is among a small number of institutions across the country offering streaming video of college courses. Taking this unique delivery to the next level, the new facility will permit online students from around the world to learn and participate in class as if they were on campus.

The Extension School currently offers more than 100 open enrollment courses online, 25 of which are recorded lectures of Harvard College daytime courses.

“Everyone at Harvard is excited about the potential for more sophisticated and innovative distance teaching at the University and the addition of this state-of-the-art facility,” says Michael Shinagel, dean of the Harvard Division of Continuing Education and the Harvard Extension School. This fall, 16 Extension School courses and numerous course sections are being held in the new facility, accommodating more than 200 on-campus students and hundreds more online.

Located at the corner of Brattle and Story streets, the facility has five dedicated classrooms, each with seating for 30 to 48 students. Four ceiling cameras strategically positioned around the classroom, along with imbedded ceiling microphones, are designed so as not to interfere with in-class learning. The camera operators, in discreetly located booths, are not visible. The technology records student comments that occur naturally in class, giving online students the ability to hear and interact with on-campus students immediately.

Classrooms are designed so that the faculty member can focus on teaching without distractions from the technology. The facility is distinguished by high-end features and functions such as two-way video-conferencing, assistive technology devices for hearing-impaired students, studio-quality audio and video recording and mixing equipment, high-resolution classroom displays, and the ability to stream lectures in real time. It incorporates more than five miles of wire.

The classrooms will teach in more ways than one. “The facility will function as a laboratory for innovative teaching and learning initiatives in the years ahead,” says Len Evenchik, assistant dean for Distance and Innovative Education.