A Dallas TeleLearning produced course is an integrated learning system that utilizes multimedia to deliver an academically sound, broadcast-quality course for any institution's educational program. Our courses combine video, a textbook, a student course guide, a faculty manual, testbank and online learning activities to provide a comprehensive course to be delivered at the convenience of students. Please be sure to visit our catalog for a complete listing of Dallas TeleLearning courseware and descriptions. For details on courseware formats click here.

Dallas TeleLearning courseware is offered by institutions for college credit to distance learning students and students seeking a technology based learning environment. The courses are taught by the institution's faculty who guide the students through the learning experience. The course videos are available in a multitude of ways for student convenience: broadcast over a local public station, cablecast, videostream, DVD, CD-ROM or VHS.

Why Use Dallas TeleLearning Courseware?

Dallas TeleLearning offers high quality, instructionally sound courses that allow faculty to support and interact with students throughout the course and utilize various technologies to enhance the teaching experience.
Dallas TeleLearning courses, offered in any of our technology-based formats, appeal to the student population that cannot attend on-campus classes and those students who prefer the convenience of distance learning.
Dallas TeleLearning courses are effective in serving the educational needs of the entire community.

Interactive Courses

To address the changing needs of our diverse distance learning student population, Dallas TeleLearning has developed the Interactive Courses. This delivery option offers a student-centered instructional design that distinguishes it from a more traditional TeleLearning platform. The Interactive Course increases our flexibility in accommodating the needs of a greater number of distance education students. It provides a means of measuring and documenting student retention and learning.

Interactive Courses are available by CD-ROM and the Internet. The same content is offered on both options, except the videos for the Internet option are accessed through your institution's usual means and it requires a continuous Internet connection.

Student-Centered Instructional Design

Instructional design is what distinguishes the Interactive Course from a more traditional TeleLearning platform:

First, the learner is given more ownership in the learning process. Ownership is a strong motivator in adult learning. The student chooses a starting point based on prior knowledge, and makes decisions along the way as to how much information and/or remediation is needed to proceed. With the Interactive Course, the learner can prioritize the learning activities according to individual style preferences and time constraints.
Second, the Interactive Course accommodates a more efficient integration of print and non-print media. Text and Telecourse Guide assignments, video, interactive exercises, and Internet resources are accessible at appropriate points in the learning process, i.e., activities more closely aligned with the objectives they support.

Third, it is goal-based and engages the student in relevant problem solving of simulated real world issues.This reinforces the values of:

learning by doing (application-based knowledge), not just learning to know (factual knowledge)
creating a relevant and meaningful learning experience that captures and maintains the student's interest
enhancing content knowledge within the context of relevant tasks closely related to how students will use it outside the learning environment

Measurable Retention and Learning

Interactive courses provide a means of measuring and documenting learning retention through the self-contained pre- and post-assessment. The immediate assessment feedback enables the students to monitor their own progress as they complete the course. Frequent prompts throughout the lesson material encourage more timely instructor intervention relevant to the students specific learning needs.

Minimum Requirements to Access All Features

Operating System: Windows 98 or higher
Windows Media Player 7.0 or higher is required to view the videos included on the CD-ROM. (Free download from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx )
Flash 6 Player or higher (Free download from http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer)
Audio speakers or headphones
Video display properties set at 800x600 High Color (16 bit is recommended.)
12x or greater speed CD-ROM is required
Pentium Processor 200 MHz or faster (Pentium II 300 MHz or greater is preferred)
Internet Explorer 5 or Netscape 4.7 or higher

Tips and Reminders

Audio speakers must be turned on and volume adjusted.
After clicking on any icon or hot link, please wait for CD-ROM to access material.
Using less than the recommended system to view videos may result in choppy playback and/or synchronization problems between audio and video.
"Pop-up" blockers must be disabled.

Your institution can take advantage of the Interactive Course with or without a Learning Management System. If your institution has made the investment in a platform, the Interactive Course is complemented by the tools a platform has available.