Participant: Michael MainDate: March 31, 2005Distance Learning Instructor Questionnaire1. How long have you been an instructor? In what department? 23 years in computer science 2. In your experience, what is the most effective way to teach students? kind of a broad question, but for me the most effective technique is to get to know the students one-on-one. this lets me know their individual abilities and needs, and lets them see how interested i am in each student as an individual. 3. How important do you feel collaboration amongst students is vital to their learning? There are a variety of ways that students learn, and different students will respond to different techniques. Collaboration is one of these many techniques, and some students will respond to group projects very well. But since collaboration is one of many possible techniques, it is only mildly important. 4. What do you know about distance education? Little. 5. What obstacles do you see distance education instructors facing? Students? For me, the problem is that I couldn't get to know the students individually. They would be little individual feedback, little chance to tailor work to students, little chance for feedback. 6. Would you consider becoming a distance education instructor? Why/why not? No. I am rewarded by the contact with students. 7. In your opinion, what would be the greatest advantages of distance education? Disadvantages? Adavantage is in the numbers. You can reach a large number of students.
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