Northern Arizona University: Distance Education in Rural Arizona

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Northern Arizona UniversityDistance Education
in Rural Arizona

• Patty Bilby Moore, Ed.D.
• Presentation to the Rural Health Association
• November 14, 2005

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NAU Infrastructure in Rural Arizona

• Internet courses and programs
• 25 interactive television classrooms
• In-person classes around the state
• 33 local site offices
• 25 high-speed computer labs free of charge to
  students
• Local modem pools
• On-the-ground faculty, staff, and technical
  support personnel

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with statewide impact
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How NAU delivers programs

• Degree completion through articulation of AA or
  AAS programs
• Dependent on offerings of local community
  colleges
• Group together small numbers of students in rural
  areas to achieve a critical mass for program
  delivery web and ITV plus some local faculty
  (i.e. Ganado BSN)
• On-site practicum experiences in local medical
  facilities

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NAU Sites by Community College District
Eastern Arizona Globe Payson Thatcher
Dine Kayenta Ganado Tuba City Chinle Fort Defiance
Northland Pioneer Holbrook Show
Low Kayenta Whiteriver Keams Canyon
Maricopa Central Phoenix Chandler-Gilbert East
Maricopa Paradise Valley Phoenix
College Scottsdale West Maricopa
Pima Tucson Cochise Nogales
Yavapai Prescott Verde Valley Coconino Page Ar
izona Western Yuma
Mohave Bullhead City Lake Havasu City Kingman
Central Arizona Signal Peak Aravaipa Apache
Junction
Office on community college campus
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Health-related Online Programs

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Challenges to Program Delivery

• Lower division prerequisites and feeder programs
• Adequate facilities in rural areas

• Online access for students
• Local modem pools are slow
• Long distance travel to computer labs
• Practicum placements
• Bad weather or natural disasters

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Barriers to student success

• Student readiness in reading, writing,
  mathematics, or other content areas
• Technology skills
• Time management or study skills
• Expectations about online class room experience
  as compared to traditional classroom

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Our resources

• AZUN gateway to Arizonas three universities

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Our resources

• Trained computer lab aides
• around the state
• 24/7 computer support by toll-free telephone
• Partnerships with CC learning centers
• Online tutoring available for
• Writing
• Mathematics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Engineering
• Spanish

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Northern Arizona UniversityBringing education
to rural Arizona

• Questions?