New video conferencing system makes online education more convenient

New video conferencing system makes online education more convenient

Technology has given many nontraditional students the opportunity to earn a degree through distance learning and online education.

For example, Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin recently installed Cisco TelePresence, a high-definition video conferencing system at its central campus and at four regional locations, Campus Technology reports. The system is set up to give students who are attending satellite campuses access to a wider variety of classes.

A classroom at the central location will have a monitor and video camera that link up to an identical system at one of the regional campuses. Instructors will also be able to have one-on-one tutoring and advising meetings.

"It's like actually being there, you can see all the nuances of non-verbal behaviors. It allows the [classroom] connection to be that much stronger. Especially in the community college world, [which caters to] many displaced workers, that's so important," Alli Jerger-Lopez, the technology adoption manager on the project, told the news source.

This type of technology makes earning an education easier for students near regional campuses to meet the requirements of their technical degree.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that overall employment of individuals working in technology is projected to increase 30 percent over the next eight years.

By Mark Danson