MEETING REMOTE EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES IN GEO-SCIENCE

Offering Geo-Science education throughout rural Alaska has proven to be a rewarding challenge. Through creative funding and grants, Prince William Sound Community College offers courses in 6 remote sites over a 33,000 mile² area including Prince William Sound and the Copper River Basin region. Classroom sites that receive lectures and laboratory exercises are Glennallen, Valdez, Cordova, Chitina, Kenny Lake and Chistochina. Special technological challenges demand creative problem solving. Technology has changed the paths of information exchange; opening doors for place-bound students with opportunities to receive a college level education. Classes are delivered by real-time interactive video, utilizing accessories such as digital scanning, and ELMO, which can project and magnify a crystal's delicate form.

Education in remote villages throughout Alaska is very problematic. Cost and retention of teachers prohibit continuity and stability of the educational process. Land and resource management in many of these regions can be critical to state and national economies. Geo-Science education, which leads to responsible land and resource decisions, is critical for these isolated populations. Educational opportunities create positive synergy and a thirst for knowledge.

Unwilling traditional instructors feel that the learning experience is deflated without face to face contact. Even more interesting, faculty often resists teaching to remote regions. Reasons for resistance include teaching techniques, fear of technology, technological stability, proctoring of work, and lack of personal contact in lieu of electronic communication. Our students show that quality is not sacrificed. Interestingly, students who have taken our courses are committed, motivated and successful. This may be due to the lack of past educational opportunities.

As technology has developed, access to the world has become immediate. Outsourcing of jobs, businesses operating without physical buildings, residency for employment need not be in the same city, state or country. Educational delivery must also evolve to effectively utilize technology and excel at delivering education using new technology and expanding the classroom.