We ve decided that we want to be the best in the world, but the best in the world isn t the best by being isolated, says Willis. By developing this course together, it s a better course than it would be if any one of us had developed it independently. An electronic whiteboard allows a student in Ames to instantly see what a student in Gainesville has written. Students separated by thousands of miles share experiences, areas of expertise, and even edit each other s work. As distance boundaries are broken and education becomes less dependent on where it is delivered, a new type of college student is emerging.
Ages become more diverse, as high school and community college students begin taking classes online.
Ongoing education for professionals at all stages in their careers is possible without ever coming to campus. For example, Kathy Reschke, an ISU family life extension educator who works with child care providers, knows that although many day care providers are eager for more training, the nature of their work makes it difficult to leave home. For her Ph.D. dissertation, Reschke is developing an online course that allows child care providers to log onto discussion groups with 10-12 other providers at any time of the day. As class members work together toward solutions, they examine their own thinking, and learn how to evaluate and use other resources. This way of learning is called problem-based learning , says Reschke.