At TSTC in Abilene, distance learning has been a part of the curriculum since last summer. The system works both ways. Some faculty members are taking classes beamed in from the University of Houston to finish a master's degree in occupational technology, and some TSTC students are also taking other courses. TSTC also sends some of its classes to the network. The advantages and disadvantages of distance learning are just beginning to be debated in earnest as it becomes increasingly popular.
Advantages are obvious in sparsely populated rural areas.
Stamford's Bearden foresees residents taking classes to complete work on college degrees. While video conferencing has been around quite a while, distance learning provides real time, live interaction with the professor. At Stamford High School, a lab for 18 students is equipped with a panel in the front of the room with an overhead document viewer. Monitors are set up so students can see the professor as he speaks. Students can ask questions that are answered immediately just as if they were in the classroom with the teacher.