Re: definition of "asynchronous" on-line course delivery

On Thu, Apr 27, 2000, Bert R. Boyce <lsboyc[_at_]lsu.edu> wrote:
>
> On 25 Apr 2000, Professor Harris-Ransom <harrisransom[_at_]email.msn.com> asked:
> >
> > [...]
> > What is the definition of "real time" course delivery? Could it be
> > defined as a semester long course as a reasonable interpretation?"
>
> I don't know what the Copyright Office means, but here at LSU
> a real time course is one where the students and the instructor meet
> regularly at appointed times. Thus our normal semester long lecture
> classes qualify, as do our distance education efforts which are taught
> by compressed video at a single time each week to various sites around
> the state. So would a course that put in the needed contact hours in
> a condensed 2 week period. Our 100% web-based classes, where students
> do their interactions with the course site when they see fit, although
> there are certainly deadlines for turning in the assignments, and meet
> with the instructor only through e-mail and the course's list, are
> considered to be asynchronous. Clearly there are some time constraints
> on the asynchronous courses, just as the traditional classes have
> asynchronous elements, for instance when the students do their out of
> class assignments. The real distinction seems to be based on face to
> face student instructor interaction at regularly scheduled times, with
> or without electronic mediation. I don't think that a semester length
> is required for "real time" but a specific number of contact hours at
> specified times would be.
>
> Again, this is just the way we use the words down in the swamp.

thank you for your comments bert,

i used to live in hattiesburg, mississippi, so i have a kind spot for swamps. :-)

interestingly, the copyright office, in its 1999 guidelines for fair use in digital distance education specifically include live, in class, with teacher and student situations. they also include situations where the session is recorded by a teacher, with no students present, for later transmission.

any thoughts.

Lori K. Harris-Ransom, J.D., M.A.
Associate Professor
Caldwell College
Business Department
9 Ryerson Avenue
Caldwell, NJ 07006
Office: 973-618-3517
Fax: 973-618-3355
E-Mail: Lransom[_at_]caldwell.edu

              harrisransom[_at_]msn.com Received on Fri Apr 28 2000 - 16:29:40 GMT