Increasing Access to Learning With Hybrid Audio-Data Collaboration

Internet enabled hybrid audio-data collaboration delivers high quality audio over telephone lines and data interaction over packet switched Internet connections, thus distributing the transmission load between two highly accessible but limited bandwidth media. This paper explores the need for hybrid audio-data collaboration and describes two complementary studies comparing the performance and satisfaction of groups of graduate students taking an introductory course in statistics via the following modes: (1) hybrid audio-data collaboration, (2) satellite delivered instructional television, (3) face-to-face in the television studio, and (4) face-to-face in a traditional classroom. The results of the studies suggest there is no difference in student learning performance between the hybrid audio-data collaboration and instructional television or face-to-face modes for the graduate level introductory statistics course. Students in the Internet enabled hybrid audio-data collaboration group were also more satisfied than those in the instructional television group with the technical aspects of the medium. Compared to instructional television, hybrid audio-data collaboration can be a viable method of dramatically increasing access to learners while maintaining educational effectiveness and student satisfaction.