Abstract:
An animal growth and development course was taught as a collaborative effort by thirteen faculty members at five universities using distance learning technologies to coordinate and concentrate expertise. Live synchronous presentations and interactions were conducted via nine, 2-hour satellite sessions and eleven, 2-hour audioteleconference sessions. Asynchronous support was provided via videos and print materials, and an all-class'subscriber" listserv was available for students to raise questions or participate in discussions. Twenty-five project groups collaborated across institutions on topics of their choice via preconfigured listservs. A total of 182 students across 13 institutions enrolled; one site (36 students) withdrew due to inadequate prerequisites of its students Students indicated a preference for satellite over audio-only sessions. They recommend more continuity among instructors, congruence between lectures and materials, greater clarity of key points and more production-oriented application of content. Collaborative teaching allowed students more exposure to some topics in more detail than traditional methods would have allowed. Faculty noted that the incorporation of technology challenged both teachers and learners. Results were used to modify the course for future semesters and to serve as a model for other courses taught at a distance.
Keywords:
collaborative teaching, distance learning
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