DISTANCE EDUCATION IN THE FUTURE - EXPLORING THE APPLICATION OF DISTRIBUTED GROUP SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Distributed Group Support Systems (DGSS) provide a means for several i ndividuals to interact with one another from different geographic loca tions using telecommunications and Group Support Systems (GSS) technol ogies. As this technology emerges, new applications will be sought to utilize the tremendous capabilities for long distance interaction and communication. One potential application of DGSS is its use in the del ivery of Distance Education. Distance Education (DE) involves the deli very of education (or training) from one site to one (or more) geograp hically dispersed sites. The capability of DGSS to add an additional c ommunications channel, one by which all students could interact with o ne another at the same time, provides an exciting array of opportuniti es for the application of DGSS. This article explores ways in which DG SS could be utilized to improve the delivery of education and training to dispersed locations. Background information on GSS and DE are prov ided. Results of a case study in which a fiber optic cable network was used for delivering a DE class on Information Systems are briefly hig hlighted, along with suggestions for future research in this area.