ABSTRACT
My thirty-year teaching career has been focused almost exclusively on the classroom. Classroom experience has changed radically since I entered the teaching profession. These changes are powered mainly by personal computers and the Internet, in tandem with a plethora of personal electronic devices. Computer presentation software is a marvel of compressing three legacy classroom technologies (slide shows, movie projectors, overhead cell projectors) into one system. Presentation software is the backbone of many lectures in any class today. Yet presentation software is static and does not suffice for all pedagogical strategies, including student interactivity. For example, the visiting professor who is expert in a field can infuse a session with interest and motivation because of live and spontaneous remarks, followed by student interaction in a question-and-answer period. The pedagogical gains are significant, as student motivation and engagement are much higher. However, the obstacles to this scenario in most settings are significant. This chapter narrates an experiment with using technology to bridge the distance of time and location in a manner pertinent to the class schedule inexpensively and with fairly simple logistics to bring students face-to-face with an expert in the field.
