The University of South Carolina Distance Education Program : Southern Tradition Updated for the Twenty-First Century

The University of South Carolina is the oldest institution for higher learning in the state. It was first chartered in 1801 as the South Carolina College and was a highly respected institution. The university was rechartered in 1906 as the University of South Carolina (USC). It was the first South Carolina college to gain regional accreditation. In the early decades of the twentieth century, the university flourished. The Depression, however, had a negative effect on enrollment, and the need for a distance education program became apparent.

In 1937, Havilah Babcock, a long-time professor and administrator, summed up this new feeling: “If you can’t come to the university, then the university will come to you.” Correspondence courses began to be offered, and professors traveled to meet with groups of students. In the 1950s, regional campuses began to open. The first extension campus opened in 1957 in Florence, followed by campuses in Beaufort, Lancaster, and Conway in 1959, and in Aiken in 1961. The extension campuses were envisioned as entry points for students. These campuses had the same standards as the main campus in Columbia, but were only intended to be 2-year institutions. After students completed their freshman and sophomore years, they would have to transfer to the main campus of USC or another state university (Lesesne, 2001). The satellite campus approach continues today. Currently, there are campuses in Aiken, Beaufort, Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, Union, and Spartanburg.

The advent of the televised courses came in the 1960s with a partnership between South Carolina Educational Television and USC (Bridwell, 1981). It began with closed circuit television broadcasting of classes, and has grown to a mix of closed circuit classes and satellite uplinked classes that can be viewed literally nationwide. The satellite classes are made possible by sharing of six channels with K-12 education programs. During the day, from 8 A.M. until 4 P.M., the channels are mostly reserved for K-12 education. There are some time slots available for daytime broadcasting, and the university takes advantage of these slots whenever possible. However, the bulk of satellite broadcasting of USC’s distance education classes occurs between 4 P.M. and 10 P.M.

There are 10 studios on the USC campus, scattered among the colleges that use the distance education classes the most. All studios are linked with the Master Control Center, located in the USC School of Law building. Here, technicians supervise the classes being recorded in the studios around the campus. The Master Control Center, which is operational from 8 in the morning until 10 at night, serves as the uplink point for classes being sent to either closed circuit television or the satellite (B. Jenkins, personal communication, January 30, 2007).

These classes are designed for synchronous instruction, and the studios allow the instructors to display information to the audience in a variety of ways. There are large Smartboards in the classrooms, which allow instructors to use their computers or slates to share information to the class. There is an overhead camera that looks directly down on the instructor’s desk as well. This allows the instructor to share books, articles, or other materials that are not in an electronic format.

The instructors have several resources at their fingertips. A clip-on microphone ensures acceptable sound quality while they are lecturing. Since it is wireless, they are not restricted to their desks during the class period. While the technician controls most of the signals, the instructors can choose what signal they want to be shown on the air. They can switch between the computer, their laptop, an overhead shot, or one of the other three cameras in the room.

The overhead camera in particular is an important tool for the instructor. While some professors prefer using computer programs, some materials, such as books, are not easily converted to digital format. A book, map, or any physical object can be placed on the instructor’s desk or podium for demonstration. The overhead camera can be adjusted for angle and focus to obtain an optimal view of the object, allowing all students, both in the classroom and in satellite viewing stations, to see the object clearly.

A monitor shows the instructor what is going out over the air, as well as messages from the technician who is recording the class. The monitor allows the instructors to see the view the students are receiving, so they can adjust the object if needed. The technician also uses the monitor to send the instructors messages, such as time warnings when it is almost time for the class to end. This is essential, since scheduling for studios and satellite channels is arranged ahead of time, and it is critical that classes begin and end on time.

Since the classes are televised, students at other locations can call in with questions or comments during the class. When a call comes in, the technician turns on the sign to let the instructor know that there is a caller, and the instructor will engage the switch to put the caller on the air. The phone system is also used for class presentations. Students will send their projects in to the instructor. They will be told in advance their call-in order, and when it is their turn, the instructor will show the project to the class as the student narrates. PowerPoint, in particular, is used for this purpose. Even without video conferencing, a synchronized satellite class can be very interactive.

Not all of the studio classrooms are the same. Some classrooms have slightly different arrangements or equipment, but all classrooms allow for an interactive, multimedia learning experience. There are a few classrooms that have been recently upgraded. These classrooms, in addition to having the same basic setup as the others, also have the specialized equipment needed for videoconferencing. This allows the on-site class to see the satellite campus class. Both video and audio connections are two-way, enriching the learning experience for both groups.

Every day, USC broadcasts hours of classes, through closed circuit television and satellite. But how does all of this happen? What makes the program work? It takes a great deal of coordination and effort. The Media Distribution and Delivery Organization is headed by a director. Under the director are eight departments, each with its own role to play.

The Master Control supervisor is in charge of running the master control room, which directs the feed from all ten classrooms to the closed circuit television system and to the satellite uplink. Master Control also connects satellite viewing stations to the appropriate studios for phone communication. The supervisor is assisted by two operators, who make sure that all equipment is operational before classes are scheduled to begin, and that all studios are online at the scheduled times. The video output of all studios can be monitored from Master Control. All classes are recorded and will be converted to streamed video format within 24 hours.

The information resource coordinator is in charge of the logs. It is the coordinator’s duty to keep track of the schedule of classes, as well as the locations and requirements for all classes. The Information Distribution Department is responsible for ensuring that all departments know the schedules and commitments for the organization, as well as any other information that is deemed important. Any changes that are made, such as cancellations, must be reported to the IRC so that all parties, including satellite class locations, are aware of the schedule changes as much in advance as possible.

The technology development technician serves as the expert for all technical matters. The TDT creates any special projects or materials needed by the instructors. If there are any questions about how something involving technology should be done, the TDT is considered the resident expert. The studio classroom manager ensures that all ten studios operate in an efficient and timely manner, and handles any scheduling changes, in coordination with his studio directors. The studio directors work closely with the instructors of the classes. They make sure that everything is in place, so the class will run and air smoothly. The directors coordinate the cameras and instructional input so that students at satellite class locations are able to have an experience that is as much like a live class as technically possible.

The Course Materials Department has several areas of responsibility. A major task is checking to make sure all course materials are in compliance with copyright law; there is a staff member who is devoted to only that job. In addition, this department serves as streaming site coordinator and is responsible for ensuring that the site stays completely up to date. They also prepare the material packets needed for each course.

The resource library keeps track of all materials and records. Once material is created for a course, it is maintained within the collection. Last of all, there is an editing department, to make sure that all materials used in class or on the air is free from errors, maintaining the professionalism of the program (B. Jenkins, personal communication, January 30, 2007).

While the synchronized distance education program was very strong, an external review of the university’s use of information technology noted a deficiency in asynchronous instruction, and recommended that the university work diligently to supply other methods of instructional delivery (Bottum, Conrad, & Meachun, 2003).

Since the university was already experienced in creating televised classes, the first step was to create streamed videos of class sessions, which would be available online. The streamed classes are posted on the USC Video Web site, ready to be accessed, within a day of taping. Students can access these videos by logging on a secure site with their student id numbers. Instructors may either allow students to view a class at any time, or within a set time period. Most courses, however, remain available for the duration of the course, as evidenced by the listings under individual courses. Students first go to the video on the Web page, and from there, access the pages for their school and their course. The courses are password-protected, and may also be downloaded for students to review at a later time. Podcasts, the newest form for media, is the next step that is currently being considered for development. With the prevalence of MP3 players, the demand for “lectures to go” is growing. While podcasts are not now widespread, this is expected to change in the future.

Some colleges within the university only offer limited televised classes. For example, the Arnold School of Public Health and the School of the Environment only have one class each currently listed on the streaming video page. On the other end of the spectrum, the College of Engineering and Information Technology offers 23 courses in streaming video format. Most colleges list anywhere from four to seven classes on USC’s Video Web site.

In addition to the televised courses, there are other distance education courses that are designed to be asynchronous in nature. These courses utilize Blackboard as the teaching platform. Most course interaction occurs in this arena. Additional materials may be provided to the students as well. Students might have to participate in discussions, post assignments, or complete other tasks through the term. While occasionally the class might meet as a group, the asynchronous format is designed for students who need classes that fit into their schedules.

One student in a distance education program shared her experiences: I had transferred to a new job within the school. I had been an English teacher for 5 years, and I was offered a chance to become a media specialist. The only provision was that I had to earn a master’s degree in library science. The nearest program was in Columbia, about 2 hours away from my home. Since I was expecting my first child, I knew that driving that far on a weekly basis wasn’t an option. The distance education program gave me a chance to work on my degree without traveling. I was able to view the satellite class this past term from the library at school. I didn’t have to travel at all. This term, I am taking a class that is completely online, and I can work when I have the time. It fits in to my schedule perfectly. (S. Coward, personal communication, January 7, 2007)

Perhaps one of the most surprising elements of the program is the range that USC’s program has achieved. Since there are many regions of the United States that lack strong colleges in various disciplines, USC’s courses are sometimes viewed by satellite classes thousands of miles away from South Carolina. One example is the School of Library and Information Science. There are satellite classes in Maine that connect by satellite uplink every week to participate in the class sessions being recorded in the studio in Columbia, SC. The students in Maine were unable to find a library science program locally, and there was no distance education program available from a state university, either. USC’s library science distance education program, with its mix of online and satellite classes, has allowed several groups of students to earn their advanced degrees. The quality and accessibility of USC’s televised classes have enabled students from across the country to attain their educational goals, while establishing the university as a key provider of distance education.

Another recommendation of the external review was to address the poor quality of the school’s Web pages, which provided information, but nothing else. The visiting committee urged USC to examine the Web pages of other institutions and to create a source that students, faculty, and Web site visitors could use to directly interact with organizations and access services while online (Bottum et al., 2003). The current Web site for USC is more interactive and service oriented.

For example, after creating an online log-in name and password, a prospective undergraduate student can apply online, saving time and making the application process as easy as possible. Catalogs for courses can be requested through the Web site as well. These convenient online options do away with the need for students to either go to the campus in Columbia or spend a long time on the phone, trying to track down the correct office. The application process becomes less stressful and can be done at the students’ convenience, any time of the day or night.

Current students can use the VIP Web page to conduct a number of online tasks. Blackboard, used by many instructors in both traditional and distance education, is accessed from this page. Another great resource is a listing of college e-mail addresses for all faculty, staff, and students on campus, making communication very easy. The related sites and services link provides connections to most of the offices that students might need in the course of their education.

The USC library system also has a Web page that, among other things, allows students to access the catalogs for all of the branches and even reserve books. By determining whether or not a particular branch has a desired text, time is saved. If students have checked out books but later determine they need more time, they may extend the time by visiting the library’s page before the due date for their books.

With these resources and others, both traditional and distance education students can conduct business and prepare for classes without setting foot in a campus office. USC has worked diligently to provide as many services as possible with the single click of a mouse.

Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, the University of South Carolina has modernized its program, working diligently to upgrade and improve the learning experience of its distance education students. With the constant evolution of technology, the challenge will be to keep the program updated and fresh, providing the best education possible for current and future students. USC has gone through many changes through the years, and is making a strong effort to stay at the forefront of educational technology in order to provide the best educational experience available for its distance education students.