Distance Learning success in Rural Southeast Nebraska

Amazingly easy to use | Project history | Fiber Contruction | Already making an impact | Classroom Experience |

Realizing the Dream
"A few of us have had a dream that we would have the whole state connected with a distance learning system," says Don Vanderheiden, Nebraska Director of Distance Learning. "And it is beginning to unfold and take place."

In July of 1997, the state of Nebraska awarded Broadband Networks Inc. and Galaxy Cablevision a contract to build a fiber-based distance learning network in the southeastern quadrant of the state. The network initially connected 25 sites in a 120 square mile area. An additional 35 schools will come on-line in 1998 with the potential to expand to as many as 200 sites.

Educators had four main goals for the use of the network: expand curriculum, offer college credit courses, streamline staff development efforts, and provide community professional training--all of which have been realized with the installation of the broadband network. The network offers live full motion video conferencing, four-digit fax service, high-speed data and links to "NEBSAT," an educational satellite service.

The wide-area network is secure and non-blocking. With the proper PIN and password, teachers can access the network anytime without going through a central scheduling system. "For the first time…teachers can walk into a distance learning classroom and call somebody up on the other side, and they can have a conference or they can--on demand--get their two classrooms together," says Don Ferneding, of Direct Technical Services for ESU 3. "We can connect just about anything and everybody."

Amazingly Easy to Use
Nebraska schools began using the network in the fall of 1997, just two months after the deal had been finalized. Since then, the response from both teachers and students has exceeded expectations. Teachers have been especially pleased with the system's ease of use. "Amazingly, it's really not hard to run," says Susan Steuer, of Friend Public School. Teachers can simply walk into their room, push a few buttons on the remote control and begin their lessons.

The technology has created new avenues for instruction and has sparked added enthusiasm. Jennenne Puchalla of Adams Public School says her students enjoy participating in distance learning classes. "They're taking special classes that normally aren't offered in their school," she says. Teachers are excited, too, about the impact the technology will have in educating their students.

Project History
The concept of connecting schools is something that Nebraska educators have been researching and promoting since the late 1980s.

This interest in distance learning is one that has evolved out of necessity. Rural schools in the western part of the state were facing a crisis--a sparse population had created a number of very small school systems with limited enrollment. Without enough students to support the staffing necessary for today's diverse curriculums, schools were forced into very limited course offerings. In the worst of cases, schools were near the brink of closing, meaning that their students would have to travel a great distance--some nearly 50 miles away--to continue their education.

The Nebraska Excellence in Education Committee sought out to implement a distance learning solution that would connect schools. The result would allow them to share staff resources and diversify their curriculum without consolidating schools.

The committee selected a solution developed by Broadband Networks and Galaxy Cablevision. After much discussion regarding transport technology, the decision came down to one thing­functionality. The group selected a network based on what they wanted it to do, not on how it was going to be accomplished. The irony was that the system that had the most functionality was also the less expensive alternative. "We could get more bang for our buck," says Don Ferneding, of Direct Technical Services, ESU-3.

This blend of functionality and affordability has made the BNI-Galaxy system a viable option for Nebraska schools. It has allowed them to address their most immediate and critical needs, while providing them the tools to develop a future of improved education for their students.

Fiber Construction
The core of the BNI-Galaxy network is a dedicated single mode fiber infrastructure. In August, Galaxy Cablevision initiated the installation of 600 miles of fiber to physically connect the 25 sites. Trenching crews, aerial crews, and splicing crews worked non-stop for two months to install the fiber.

At the onset of the project, Galaxy had approximately 90 cable TV systems in the state with about 550 miles of fiber in the ground. According to Terry Cordova, vice president of engineering for Galaxy, the additional 600 miles of fiber has interconnected the 90 current systems and has added another 25 towns to their service area.

All in all, a total of 1,200 miles of fiber connects 120 towns with the potential to connect over 200 schools and colleges in the Galaxy service area. Plus, Galaxy is working with other cable operators to interconnect schools in multiple service areas across the state."We're not building an island out here. It's a fully interoperable system that can be connected across the state and across the country," says Cordova.

According to Galaxy, this network is one that will be there for the long term and will forever change the way these schools communicate. Its speed and available bandwidth will serve schools decades into the future.

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