Distance learning in courses with a laboratory

Distance learning has gained in popularity not only as a way to offer instruction in locations without local expertise, but also as a cost-effective method where limited enrolment at one location would not normally warrant offering the course. In engineering technology programs, where most courses have a lab component, distance learning offers many new challenges in course delivery. This paper discusses the authors´ experiences with distance learning in two electrical engineering technology courses, each with a lab component. One course offered via the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System used one-way video and two-way audio for the lecture. The professor lectured to 16 students locally, and to two remote sites with three and five students, respectively. Each remote site had a lab instructor who was a member of the faculty at that campus, but neither were familiar with the subject matter prior to the course offering. Due to scheduling conflicts, the involvement of the coordinators was different. One instructor had another class to teach during the lecture broadcast, while the other attended the lectures and completed many of the assignments. A second scenario involving distance learning is using video-taped lectures with remote lab instructors. We present two models. In one case, the lab was taught by an instructor who had taught the lab at the originating site. In the other case, the instructor had some knowledge of the material but no experience with the lab exercises. We make suggestions on ways to improve the delivery of both the lecture and local offering of the distance course lab