Kids watching TV may get bad press in some areas, but in the North Slope Borough School District (NSBSD) of Alaska, students watch TV for academic credit.
The North Slope Borough School District is the nation's largest school district. The borough, which has only 9,000 people, stretches across the northern coast of Alaska entirely above the Arctic Circle. About 650 miles across, the borough encompasses 88,000 square miles--about the size of Minnesota--and has approximately 2,000 students, 86 percent of whom are Inupiat Eskimos. The school district consists of ten schools: one school in each of the seven villages and three in the city of Barrow. Barrow (population 3,800) is the northernmost community in the United States and the largest city of the borough.
No roads connect these communities. Travel between the villages is by small aircraft; within the villages, snowmobiles and four-wheelers provide transportation.
Many of the village schools have fewer than 100 students (preschool
through high school). The smallest village school has only 42 students
and six staff members; the largest has 221 students and 21 staff members.
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Until 1992, providing comprehensive education for the students of the borough was difficult because of the vast distances. But just before the 1992-1993 school year, the district implemented a video conferencing program called Distance Education Delivery.
Compressed video was phased into the existing satellite telecourse network. The system enables audio and video interaction between teachers and students and between schools. From the district's communications hub in Barrow, satellites link the seven outlying village schools with voice, data, and video communications. The three schools in Barrow are directly linked by fiber optics to the district's central office. Courses such as art and advanced math are taught over the satellite system.
"In village schools with few high school students, it is difficult to have the trained professional staff to teach all subjects," says Pat Aamodt, NSBSD superintendent (Communication News, February, 1993). "Because of its size, Barrow High School can employ teachers who have training in specialized subject matter. Through video conferencing, all of our students in the other seven villages have access to these instructors."
Martin Cary, coordinator of information and technology says, "We believe that our students will perform better if they can participate more actively with their instructors and classmates. Two-way video has also provided our curriculum developers with more course options" (Communication News, February, 1993).
According to the April 1994 issue of Wired, two studio cameras bring the instructor, text, and graphics into remote sites via full-time dedicated circuits. Instructors have two monitors--one to see themselves, the other to see the classrooms--shown one at a time. When a student in a classroom speaks, the camera turns toward the sound so that everyone can see who is talking.
Homework assignments are faxed back and forth, and questions are handled by e-mail or telephone. Tests are sent by e-mail.
Acceptance of the system has been overwhelmingly positive. New applications
for the technology are suggested by teachers, administrators, and the community
(Communication News, February, 1993). More important, students of
NSBSD are provided with excellent learning opportunities in spite of the
distances that separate schools on Alaska's North Slope.
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An added benefit to the system is that students gain a wider circle of friends because they are communicating with other students in remote classes. Martin Cary says that the opportunity to socialize is a tremendous bonus for the students. "They exchange ideas and opinions over these distances. It's something they couldn't do before" (Fortune, December 28, 1992).
Families are pleased with this innovation, too. Instead of sending their children away from home to get an education, parents and grandparents can view and participate in their children's learning experiences.
Another benefit is the experience students gain in operating and maintaining the technology. A television production class is popular. One student, who began working in the studio to earn money, plans to study TV production in college. "Once you learn and get good at it, you crave it," she says (School Happenings North Slope School District).
In addition to the advanced and enrichment classes, courses in Inupiat languages and Alaska Studies are popular. In these courses, Inupiat Elders share traditional stories and skills. The Inupiat classes are called "a wonderful new feature in Distance Delivery course offerings" by the 1993-94 NSBSD Annual Report.
NSBSD is also linked to the University of Alaska, various community colleges, and the Internet. With distance learning and computer networks in place, NSBSD is poised to enter the twenty-first century.