Simulation programs provide a focus for student participation. But, I must admit how impressed I am with how far we've come in the past decade. I've seen faculty and students come alive with the creative opportunities emerging technologies can provide. I've seen many positive ways in which technology is being used effectively to reach more students, to enhance the teaching and learning process, and to improve institutional effectiveness. What's really important, I think, is having clear educational values to guide the use of technology and a clear sense of purpose.
Electronic communication can enhance the quality of student-teacher interaction.
Many faculty use electronic mail to communicate with students and newsgroups to promote discussion outside regular class meetings. Class mailing lists are set up automatically prior to the start of each term so faculty can easily communicate with students. Faculty and students also have voice mailboxes for class communication . Many faculty find these resources facilitate active group learning and use them to provide a means for distributing syllabi, handouts, and reading assignments. Most conscientious faculty members are constantly modifying their courses to reflect new content or new efforts to help students learn.