Computer supported, interactive distance learning for engineering and engineering technology

Many educators agree that integrating interactive modes of delivery into distance education will significantly enhance the education experience for students and instructors. Most modes of delivering distance education classes today are asynchronous (recorded materials), and one way synchronous communications (cable TV classes, satellite link classes) and thus lack the real time interactions and the resulting collaborative support among students. At NJIT we added a collaborative and interactive distance education delivery system into the distance education program which has been in existence for fifteen years. This paper describes the implementation of that system and the results as perceived by faculty and students.