Online Lectures
Harvard’s online lectures use streaming video technology, along with standard Internet browser software. Streaming video refers to video that is sent to the user as it is viewed. As with TV or radio, students receive the images and audio just before they see and hear them. This is much quicker than waiting for the entire video file to download before viewing it, as is the case with static images on the Web. To ensure the steady stream of data, however, the video must be compressed, which means the image is not full size. See the lecture viewing window below.
Lectures are typically available 24 hours after they are presented on campus. Much of the communication between the teaching staff and students takes place via e-mail and course websites. The format of each course varies, but most courses also have a bulletin board or chat room to foster dialogue among students and the teaching staff.
Sample courses and preview lectures are also available to download to your computer or mp3 player for free at Harvard Extension School on iTunes U.
The Interface
The screen shot below shows how a distance education course lecture is presented. The video window appears on the left side of the screen, the controls below it adjust the video, and the supplementary course materials are displayed on the right side of the screen.
