Utilizing Videoconferencing Technology to Instruct Remote Non-Traditional Teacher Education Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if non-traditional early childhood college students in 2 satellite locations that were assigned to the same course could benefit from the instruction provided by 2 sites' faculty who are co-teaching during a televised instruction. Data analysis through student and instructor surveys and instructors' weekly logs revealed the following: 1) students from different locations of the college were able to connect with other non-traditional students who were in the same position in their college via videoconferencing technology; 2) instructors participating and instructing the same course in different sites had a chance to connect with a colleague in another site, share different pedagogical approaches to teaching non-traditional college students, and form collegiality; and 3) problems (e.g., inadequate audio and relay of pictures, slow network speed) in videoconferencing equipment and connections made communicating through videoconferencing technology very hard for the participants and the confidence level to be instructed through videoconferencing technology remained low among students. Implications to improve the dissemination of this type of technology among university remote locations have been discussed.