Imagine being able to interact with students in classrooms far away from where you are, yet still have the feeling you are in the room with them.
That's what a new program through Nicolet College will do when it begins next month.
It's a new type of distance learning technology called "telepresence". Dean of Business and Instructional Effectiveness, Chuck Komp, says the experience is 'amazing', but the real benefit is cutting down on travel time and costs for students. Here's how it works...
"...the view students that are at a distance, on large screens, full-sized, with eye-level contact. The audio is state-of-the-art technology that allows the sound that seems to be coming from the person doing the speaking...."
A federal grant of $415,000 to Nicolet provided the funding. The classrooms are also in Minocqua and Tomahawk.
Komp says eventually you get the feel that the person is in the classroom with you, not many miles away. There are only a few of these systems in Wisconsin. Komp says they will be able to offer classes 8 to 12 hours per day. More information on the distance learning system is available at Nicolet College.
