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

On 04/28/2000, Lori K. Harris-Ransom <harrisransom[_at_]email.msn.com> wrote:
>
> On Thu, Apr 27, 2000, Bert R. Boyce <lsboyc[_at_]lsu.edu> wrote:
> >
> > On 25 Apr 2000, Prof. 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.

Defining 'asynchronous course delivery' becomes quite 'academic,' if you'll forgive the pun. I just finished a course that met face-to-face three ourse per week, that had weekly chat sessions and assigned chat groups to each of the four groups into which the class was divided. More important, however, were the 'forums,' which the students used to post their comments in preparation for weekly presentations. In the forums, students were often waiting for others to post. Some students even telephoned others to urge them to post.

I taught another class that was totally online, except for midterm and final exams; and another classroom course in which students were required to post a comment on each week's issues.

I doubt any legal or copyright issues will arise from any of these classes. What troubles me is that we have a classroom archetype for teaching, one that is dead but it won't lie down. Like other aspects of the Internet, we have a revolution in course delivery but academics and regulators are trying their best to restrict it.

I know what 'asynchronous' means for a single transmission or interaction, but I find it quite difficult to characterize my courses even in the categories beloved by my institution (University of Central Florida). which seems to be quite forward-looking in this respect. What is the legal response to regulation that does not make sense or demonstrates an ignorance of actual practices? I've always searched for a use of that word 'capricious,' and I think it may be appropriate to the many attempts to regulate the Internet.

By the way, I've spent a good deal of time in the official, certified, trademarked, world-famous Swamp just a hundred miles north of here

Ransford Pyle
Legal Studies
U. of Central Florida
<pyle[_at_]mail.ucf.edu> Received on Sun Apr 30 2000 - 16:37:41 GMT