Inherent Problems in Compressed Video-Based Instruction 

Initially, I did not locate anyone who was teaching in a similar situation, and with a limited time to get started, I plunged in. More recently, however, I have located several other teachers whose reaction to compressed video instruction is similar: they, too, find it difficult to establish connectedness between sites. 

For example, Ronald D. Morrison, an Associate Professor at Morehead State University, responded to my query for information about his compressed video course, saying: 

• I'm pretty convinced that compressed video by itself is not the perfect medium for teaching writing. I try to visit my students with some regularity, depending on my schedule and theirs. Also I'm putting an increasing number of assignments and activities on the web. (personal e-mail communication). 

Ted Leah, from the University of Ulster (Ireland) explained that they, too, have gravitated away from using compressed video alone: 

• We have been using streaming audio and video using a RealVideo server, but not many lecturers are using anything other than text-based documents at the moment.(personal e-mail communication).

And a group of chemistry professors (Greg Klease,Trish Andrews, and David Druskovich) who have explored the uses of videoconferncing in chemistry found a need to transform the standard way faculty use videoconferencing--the lecture mode. (Interactive Chemistry by Videoconferencing). Their students were able to get together between class meetings to collaborate on projects; thus, it was possible to have groups at each site present their research and their queries on camera. Students at the other sites were more not reluctant to ask questions of the three-person groups and to engage in interactive discussion. One-to-one conversation on camera had proved too intimidating to students.