Web Conferencing with Distant Alternate Certificate Student Teachers

Abstract

Many alternative routes to certification in special education serving rural populations incorporate distance-learning technology. Participants in these programs may feel isolated because they do not regularly travel to campus to attend courses or meet with their instructors. This article describes a strategy in which regularly scheduled individual video conferences were held between the instructor and five distant student teachers enrolled in an alternate certificate program. Results of a questionnaire completed by the student teachers are presented, along with descriptive statistics of the conferences and a description of the benefits for the course instructor.