Distance-Learning Grant to Help Inform Texans About Higher Education and Career Opportunities

UTSA has received an $850,000 grant from the Telecommunication Infrastructure Fund Board of Texas (TIF) for a two-year project to better inform Texans about higher education and career opportunities, particularly those that will be important to the state's economic growth.

Through the Increasing Technology Utilization: Closing the Distance to College Entrance Project, UTSA's Tri-Campus distance-learning network will incorporate a blend of telecommunications technologies including public and cable television, the Internet and World Wide Web, video-conferencing and video-streaming to deliver educational information and programs to Texas students and residents.

"Despite the fact that today's high-tech economy requires an extensive force of well trained workers, the reality is that many otherwise qualified high school students are not applying to college because they do not have the information they need to make decisions about continuing their education," said Bill Angrove, director of the UTSA Center for Distance Learning and Academic Technology.

"Distance-learning capabilities will allow us potentially to reach thousands of students, teachers, technology coordinators and parents in South Texas and beyond." At least one middle or high school from six school districts in San Antonio and three in South Texas will take part in the project.

The schools include: Judson Senior High School (Judson ISD); Abraham Middle School (South San Antonio ISD); Krueger Middle School (North East ISD); Heritage Middle School (East Central ISD); Mathematics and Science Academy High School (Edgewood ISD); Highlands High School (San Antonio ISD); Del Rio High School (Del Rio ISD); Carrizo Springs Junior High School (Carrizo Springs ISD); and Sterling Fly Junior High School (Crystal City ISD).

The San Antonio Public Library, PBS Affiliate KLRN-TV and Time-Warner Cable have also signed on, and together the partners will undertake these key project components: UTSA will establish a Web portal, or gateway, comprising links to Internet sites containing information about UTSA and other Texas colleges.

UTSA and KLRN-TV will develop two one-hour television programs aimed at students and parents. The first, an "Introduction to College," will highlight higher education opportunities at UTSA and elsewhere in Texas. For the benefit of prospective first-generation college applicants, the programs would provide a step-by-step explanation of college admission requirements and the general application process. The second program will focus on 21st-century career possibilities open to those with college degrees.

KLRN will introduce the programs in a special kick-off package, and the "Introduction to College" program will be rebroadcast once weekly over Time-Warner Cable Channel 19, providing wider community access.

Both the "Introduction to College" program and its prototype--UTSA's highly successful distance-learning course, "Introduction to Engineering," piloted in San Antonio public schools--will be accessible through the Web portal to participating schools via streaming video technology and WebCT.

Two UTSA entities, the Teaching and Learning Center and the Urban Systemic Initiative, will develop and offer online workshops in using technology in the classroom for 55 teachers and technology coordinators from participating schools. The workshops will focus on the integration of these pre-college courses into their academic programs and curriculum.

UTSA will purchase and install $30,000 worth of video-conferencing equipment, presentation equipment and computers in the participating public schools and the San Antonio Public Library, which will be connected to the university's video-conferencing network by high speed lines to facilitate video-conference linkages to the schools and business partners connected to the UTSA Video-conference Network.

"The TIF-funded project's activities should help Texas students to be among the best informed in the nation about the advantages of higher education and career opportunities," said Angrove.

"Even more important, the increased dissemination of knowledge through distance-learning tools should help Texas to educate and retain its best students to become part of a workforce educated for the high tech professions that are essential to the state's future economic livelihood."

Governed by a nine-member board, the Telecommunication Infrastructure Fund Board of Texas is a stage agency created in 1995 to oversee disbursement of $1.5 billion in grant monies over 10 years to advance the telecommunications/information delivery infrastructure in public schools, libraries, institutions of higher education, not-for-profit healthcare facilities and academic health science centers.

TIF funding is derived from annual assessments of telecommunications utilities and commercial mobile service providers. To read more, visit the Telecommunication Infrastructure Fund Web site.