NCJ Number
166481
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Education Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (Fall 1995) Pages: 337-341
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The use of computers and the Internet enhances the teaching and understanding of course materials in higher education and makes it possible to have access to the best teachers, the latest research, and much more information than ever before.
Abstract
Cyberconferencing enables students to communicate with scholars around the world and have access to leading figures in the field who were previously restricted to a limited number of students at premier institutions. The most basic methods of communicating directly with others via the Internet are chat facilities. The Internet also permits the use of a virtual visiting professor, as exemplified by the author's course in contemporary criminology. This approach gives students access to leading figures, although it can be difficult to find professors willing to participate, some students are afraid of computers and do not take part, and digression is more likely than in a classroom. Another possible use of the Internet is to conduct a form of conference, in which students can choose panels for discussions lasting several hours. Cyberconferencing will not turn small schools into doctoral programs or eliminate the requirement that students go into the field for practical experience. Nevertheless, it can enhance the kinds of information that are available to students and broaden their exposure to people previously unavailable to them. 2 references