high tech learning

[Laurie]

Hello Everyone,

I know I have been an absent moderator of this forum lately! We are all doing our best to pick up where we left off prior to September 11.

I wanted to let you know about an exciting new technology we just received for distance learning.

Presently we have all of our "lectures" (theory courses) on videotapes made in a high-tech video classroom. The students receive the tapes (on loan, not purchased) along with all of the course materials with power points and handouts to go along with the videos. The student may buy the course pack (around $5.00 per course) through our bookstore, or download the materials from the web as they wish.

Now we have the ability to put clips of the tapes on CD ROMs which will include word files and power point files. This way the student can view the CD ROM and print out files from it as well. As the cyber instructor goes over the syllabus, for example, the student can print out the syllabus and other handouts from the CD itself. Pretty cool. We have been playing with streaming video (to watch over the net) and other programs, but downloading was always the problem (way too slow!), and the size of the image on the computer screen was too small. I was amazed at the large size and quality of the images and audio from this new system.

I am hearing reports from other opticianry programs around the country that, for the first time in several years, enrollment is up! This good news is a direct result of distance learning and accessibility of opticianry education.

The winter meeting of the NFOS (National Federation of Opticianry Schools) will be here in Tampa Bay/St. Pete this January. I will keep you informed of future updates prior to that meeting.

Hope you are having a great weekend,


Laurie Pierce

[Steve Machol]

Wow, this sounds really great Laurie! Can you post a email contact or web site that people can go to if they are interested in learning more about these programs? Thanks! :)

[Laurie]

Thanks, Steve!

Presently the lessons are part of an entire course. Presently we have materials and tapes for the following courses:

Dispensing I
Dispensing II
Lens I
Lens II
Dispensing Labs I and II
Fabrication Labs I and II
Contact Lens Theory and Lab
Refractometry Theory

Attached are sample syllabi to give you an idea of what lessons are in a course.



for more information on distance learning, contact:

National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS)
(For the participating college of your choice)...In the national curriculum, only the Dispensing I and Dispensing II courses will include videos at this time

www.nfos.org

Or our college:

lpierce@hcc.cc.fl.us
Hillsborough Community College
Tampa Florida

The nfos project is a national project with instructors from all of the schools around the country sharing course materials. Our college (Bill Underwood and I) wrote the Dispensing I and Dispensing II courses to share with the schools around the country. We are also making additional videotapes for all of our courses here at HCC to compliment the nfos course materials.

hope this doesn't sound like a commercial!

I see distance learning more as a mission than as a business, but trying to get more students to enroll has certainly become my immediate business!

Laurie Pierce

[Laurie]

Here is the second attachment I meant for the previous post:


: )