High Speed Internet necessary for distance education

High Speed Internet necessary for distance education Speed Matters has released a new video on the importance of high speed Internet access for distance learning, allowing adults who are returning to school to upgrade their skills or train for new jobs by taking classes online.

The video highlights the story of Nancy Hagen, a stay-at-home mom from Gainesville, VA. Nancy was ready to go back to school to prepare for a new career, but taking classes on campus posed many barriers: an hour commute, many classes lasting until 10 PM, and the need to get a babysitter, is taking classes online in a program sponsored by Old Dominion University. Now, with online classes at Old Dominion University, she’s able to move forward with her educational goals.

Old Dominion’s Distance Learning Program makes it much easier for people to go back to school who ordinarily would not have the chance. The classes are online and interactive. There is a professor lecturing live and students are on their computers at home listening, taking notes, and asking questions. Using high speed Internet, it becomes possible to create on online classroom experience with chat, streaming video, and easily shared media.

Old Dominion enrolls about 4,000 students a year in distance learning classes from off-campus locations or from the student’s home. This is especially important for retraining workers and for older students, who are interested in a career change.

More than 3.5 million people take an online class each year.

A national high speed internet policy is necessary to help provide additional access in under-served areas of the country so distance education can become a reality for more Americans.

SpeedMatters' Distance Education Video
http://www.speedmatters.org/video/speed-matters-distance.html

Old Dominion's Distance Learning Program
http://dl.odu.edu/

National High Speed Internet for All Policy
http://www.speedmatters.org/plan/new-policy.html