Distance education courses are available via DVD, Internet, and various interactive media. An increasing number of courses are being made available via Internet delivery methods. The technology of distance education is changing as fast as technology itself, and the School of Mines strives to benefit students by taking advantage of cutting-edge technologies for course delivery.
As technologies become available, they will be incorporated into the offerings.
Video-based courses at School of Mines usually include segments filmed in the classroom as the lecture is being presented to the on campus students during the current semester. This is especially important in the science and engineering classes because of today’s rapid advances in knowledge and technology. Most distance learning classes are “semester based,” i.e., distance students are expected to complete each class within the semester the course is taken. This gives distance students the opportunity to meet and work with other students who are taking the class at the same time.
Check Courses for distance education opportunities.
Videoconferencing
The Digital Dakota Network (DDN; located in Classroom Building 109) and Governor’s Electronic Classroom (Classroom Building 110) videoconferencing facilities link all six South Dakota universities, all South Dakota K-12 school districts, and many state agencies with interactive videoconferencing capabilities.
All videoconferencing sites are fully interactive, so students at every site receiving the class can see and hear the faculty member at the originating site. Students at any participating site can ask questions of the faculty member and students at the other sites, and participate in class discussion.
Other videoconferencing applications are also supported via DDN, and Internet2, such as student job interviews with potential employers or meetings with research sponsors.
The Governor's Electronic Classroom
The Governor’s Electronic Classroom facilities link all six South Dakota universities with interactive videoconferencing and a tightly coupled computing environment. Courses taught in this classroom can simultaneously involve faculty members and students at two or more sites. All participants can see and hear the other sites. The videoconferencing equipment automatically switches to the site where someone is speaking.
The videoconferencing capability in this classroom can also be used to connect to compatibly equipped sites around the world via ISDN telephone lines.
When not reserved for classes, this facility is available for other videoconferencing applications such as student job interviews or meetings with research sponsors.
Internet2 Videoconference Room
Another videoconferencing venue is available in Surbeck Center. This facility permits videoconferencing via Internet2 (H.323 standard) network connections, as well as with ISDN dialup connections. The room is a conference room and works best for small groups.
