Closing the gap: Using conferencing software to connect distance education students and faculty

Distance programs utilize various strategies and technologies in an attempt to keep students and faculty connected. Express mail delivery, telephone, and conference calls, electronic mail and compressed video sessions have all been used with varying degrees of success. This paper discusses the use of a 'novel Desktop Video Conferencing (DTVC) product, CU-SeeMe, and offers an analysis of its effectiveness in providing distance instruction and library support to a cohort of medical technology students embarked on the clinical rotation phase of their program at the University of Wyoming. We conclude that the potential benefits of this low cost technology outweigh the inconveniences of working with an immature technology.