Distance learning: teaching a course from a remote site to an on-campus classroom

Most applications of distance learning involve an instructor at a central, technology-rich location delivering a virtual classroom experience to students at one or more remote sites. However, there are many occasions when instructors need to be away from campus to attend conferences, perform on-site research projects, or administer off-campus academic programs, and they may need to remotely teach from a technology-poor environment (such as a hotel room or an apartment) back to a centralized location such as a campus classroom. During the spring semester of 2005, the electrical and computer engineering department at Valparaiso University conducted just such a course, which was taught by a member of the department who was spending the semester in Reutlingen, Germany. The authors describe the technology used to make this connection, appropriate course policies related to examinations, homework, and design projects, and unique challenges and opportunities presented by the nature of such a course.