Distance education programs have become a key dimension in collegiate education and society’s need for rich lifelong learning is demanding an ever higher quality in these programs. Of course, technology has been a major enabling factor in the growth of distance education. Innovative content delivery and management systems have transformed the days of mail-in assignments and audio tapes to fully online and highly interactive learning and collaboration environments. As successful as the technology has been, the delivery of programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has faced unique challenges and to this day, remains problematic. STEM courses have demanding content such as mathematics, models, and simulations. Even something as basic as the composition and display of mathematical equations can be problematic. Today, many educators are overcoming these challenges through the innovative application of the newest generation of education technology as well as insights gained from extensive deployment of technology for traditional on-campus STEM programs.
Dr. Annette Burden has over 30 years of experience in innovative education. In addition to actual teaching she has been a major driver for the modernization of distance education programs at Youngstown State and other institutions. In addition, she is an expert advisor to leading technology and information companies such as Maplesoft and Pearson Education. Her research interests include education technology and numerical analysis.
