Schools in southwestern North Dakota have been utilizing iTV technology to help teach classes for years, but a new program facilitated by Dickinson State University adds a new twist.
The Tegrity program, hosted on DSU's servers allows students to take classes they otherwise wouldn't be able to fit in their class schedules.
"What you're finding is in some schools with limited staffing they're able to offer some ... classes to students that never had those opportunities before," said Kevin Nelson, the director of the Roughrider Area Career Technology Center, who oversees the program.
Classes are recorded as they are taught and then uploaded to DSU's Tegrity servers. Students unable to attend the "live" class -- for whatever reason -- can download the video and review it and other class documents after the fact.
Marty Odermann-Gardner director of DSU's extended campus said the purpose of the program goes beyond just getting more students on the college's dual credit rolls.
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"We're a community partner. We are promoting technology that other, smaller schools may not be able to access," Odermann-Gardner said.
Ten schools are participating in the RACTC program including, Beach, Belfield, Dickinson, Glen Ullin, Hebron, Hettinger, Killdeer, New England, Richardton and South Heart.
Nelson said the program had 163 students take classes during first semester and about 125 so far in the second semester. The classes offered run the gamut of subjects, from health careers and information technologies to business and marketing.
Students can schedule the classes to fit in with their existing class schedules, during a free period or during their own time dependant on when they have time to take the class.
"A good part about Tegrity for us is that you don't have to have a perfect match in your schedule," Killdeer Superintendent Gary Wilz said.
Russ Ziegler, the principal at Richardton-Taylor High School, said there is a certain level of concern with those students who take the classes on their own time as opposed to in the classroom setting.
"It's harder for them to stay focused and stay on task," Ziegler said.
However, Ziegler and Wilz both said the approach could help the students prepare for the college atmosphere.
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"They already know there will be a certain number of courses that they will be taking online (in college)," Wilz said. "That's just the way it is."
Nelson said looking to the future the technology may provide an option for smaller school with smaller budgets to stay open and provide an education for students in their hometown as opposed to having to close and send them elsewhere.
Wilz said he's glad Killdeer decided to participate.
"We're lucky to be on the ground floor with this thing and we're hoping to stay at it for a long time and get better at it as we go along," Wilz said.
