Satellite Distance Courses: A Collaborative Effort for Meeting Demands for Special Education Teachers.

Overview & Synopsis

The Special Education Distance Learning Consortium in West Virginia has developed a program offering core special education courses to teachers unable to attend courses at the campus sites of the state's three graduate teacher preparation programs. The three courses which constitute the core are: "Introduction to Exceptional Children and Adults"; "General Special Education Programming"; and "Educational Assessment for Exceptional Chldren and Adults." The core courses were reconceptualized for satellite delivery and have involved 13 to 17 sites and 400 registrants. Two-way telephone communication allows students to call in and ask questions. Site facilitators receive special training. Program evaluation found that no student completing a course received less than a C, that students rated the faculty highly, and that students expressed primarily positive attitudes in a follow-up telephone survey. Suggestions for similar programs include utilizing the ease of peer review provided by the delivery mechanism, taping to improve instructional presentations, and cooperating with similar institutions. Includes four references. (DB)