Broadband extends classroom boundaries

The recently released report by the National Broadband Task Force titled The New National Dream: Networking The Nation For Broadband Access (available at http://broadband.gc.ca) has set out a strong case for how "broadband will transform the way we learn, the way we work, the way we use our leisure, the way we govern ourselves, the way we communicate, the way we express ourselves and the way we care for each other."

The report calls for the linking of all Canadian communities, homes, schools, libraries and hospitals over the Internet through a high-capacity national broadband network. While emerging wireless and satellite technologies are suggested for linking remote and rural communities, investment in fibre optics is also needed for urban Canada to further advance its economic and community development.

The report presents the opportunity for higher education to be more accessible and to advance the principle of equality of opportunity for all Canadians. This implies a vision in which colleges and universities deliver programs and life-- long learning to a broad range of students including adults, aging baby boomers and full-time workers who cannot attend on-campus programs, by using high-speed networks to reach homes and offices - particularly in rural areas or remote communities.

Certainly, there is more to broadband in higher education than fast access, accessibility and equality. Debates and arguments over the need for broadband in higher education continue to draw different responses from different stakeholders.

Administrators in higher education and distance-education enthusiasts would certainly welcome broadband. College libraries can't wait to showcase interactive video on demand. Their vision is that we should have as many classrooms as possible outfitted with multimedia-ready equipment so students and faculty can exchange, capture, store, index, present and re-distribute digital lectures, video clips, images and sounds.

Other faculty members are more likely to be skeptical: they are concerned about increased preparation and teaching workload and about their ability to use technology effectively in their classroom while maintaining a meaningful relationship with their students. Concerns include access to training and technical support, privacy issues, information security, intellectual property and, perhaps most obviously, job security.

Broadband networking has the ability to extend the boundary of higher education beyond normal classroom walls. We will need a more careful definition of what "virtual classroom" means. Does it mean that students and faculty can participate simultaneously in a two-way communication and exchange of information on the Net? If so, we will also need a solid technology and management practice to ensure that these virtual classrooms are conducted safely, smoothly and without disruption by random inappropriate participants, noises, electronic mailing lists and so on.

By Lan Nguyen

Lan Nguyen is the chief information officer at Centennial College in Toronto. She has particular interest in applying IT to international development. Lan can be reached at Inguyen@centennialcollege.ca.

Copyright Plesman Publications Ltd. Aug 2001
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