Going the Distance
Business schools such as Harvard are at the forefront of the electronic revolution with highly sophisticated interactive applications for their full time programmes. E-mail, advanced video-conferencing and the Internet ensure a more effective contact between full-time students and tutors. Other schools are taking advantage of this same technology and philosophy to provide innovative teaching methods for distance learning. The programme materials are available on the Internet and via interactive databases. In addition to text, the advanced system allows students to receive and download images, video and sound. A key factor of this integrated learning environment is that distance learning students can obtain regular access to fellow participants, enabling them to exchange ideas and advice, and to pass on information. Unlike previous experience, distance learners can now be part of an international student class, just like their full-time student counterparts – but the classroom is now of global dimensions. In the UK, business schools such as Open University and Durham Business School are also offering 'first class' conferencing, enabling MBA students, regardless of location in the world, access to networking and information conferences through this large-scale facility. Students can join from home or work, and the online resource is continuously updated.
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After years of lost weekends and long-range commuting, distance-learning students can now undertake a whole programme in the comfort of their living rooms, thanks to CD ROMs, video and the Internet.
