It is difficult to carry on a stimulating teacher-class discussion when spontaneity is altered by technical requirements and distance. Without the use of a real-time visual medium such as television, the teacher receives no visual information from the distant sites. The teacher might never really know, for example, if students are asleep, talking among themselves, or even in the room. Separation by distance also affects the general rapport of the class. Living in different communities, geographic regions, or even states deprives the teacher and students of a common community link.
Many teachers feel the opportunities offered by distance education outweigh the obstacles.
In fact, instructors often comment that the focused preparation required by distance teaching improves their overall teaching ability and empathy for their students. In developing or adapting distance instruction, the core content remains basically unchanged, although its presentation requires new strategies and additional preparation time. Consider a pre-class session in which the class meets informally using the delivery technology and learns about the roles and responsibilities of technical support staff. Once procedures have been established, consistently uphold them. To help students keep materials organized, consider binding the syllabus, handouts, and other readings prior to distribution.