From The Mercury Archives: April 10, 1995 Management professor conducts first video conference at UTD

Richardson, TX 75080-0688

Dr. Stephen Guisinger, Professor of International Management Studies, conducted the first video conference at UTD on April 4. The conference was between UTD and UT Pan-American (UTPA) in Edinburgh, Texas. Dr. Guisinger utilized the teleconferencing system in the Engineering and Computer Science Building.

Guisinger said, “I learned that we had the facility, and there were no courses planned. I wanted to learn the technology, and we have free time on the UT fiber optics network.”

This is the first year for UTPA’s doctoral program, but unfortunately UTPA does not have a large faculty. UTD and UTPA both have the facility to conduct the video conference. Guisinger said, “We have a really first-rate conference center. Totally interactive voice and video.”

This is different from the Tager system. In the Tager system, students cannot actively interact with the professor. In the video conference, the television set becomes the ninth person on the table.

Guisinger states, “My students are more attentive and enthusiastic about their assignments. They come well prepared with overheads.”

Guisinger can communicate in three ways: a regular television camera, an overhead document reader, and a laptop. With the touch screen device, Guisinger can scan the room or zoom in on a specific student. The overhead document reader displays overheads to the students at UTPA. With the laptop, the output from the computer is seen directly on the television screen and students at UTPA can see presentation software, spread sheets and regular text.

The video conference system has been used for administrative purposes, but it has never been accessed for courses. In the School of Management, there are numerous professors who are interested in the video conference system.

Guisinger is presently working on a flexing learning system for the Masters of Arts in International Management Studies (MIMS).

Guisinger said, “This is a proposal on how to deliver an existing Masters through distance learning technology. MIMS will utilize non-traditional meeting times and a variety of educational media, such as taped lectures and Internet communications software. Video conference technology would be applicable if UTD decides to allow completing degrees in that manner.” This program will be taught in an unconventional manner; one-half of MIMS will be taught through classroom and the other half will incorporate technology.

The MIMS program would be ideal for students who cannot attend classes regularly because of business travel or reside far enough from UTD that attending weekly meetings appears unattractive.

The MIMS will be a complement to the traditional process of achieving a master’s degree in International Management at UTD, and it will provide access for a greater number of students. Guisinger said, “The companies and students we serve have indicated their preference for greater flexibility in the timing and delivery methods for our degree programs without loss in quality.”

MIMS is designed for recent MBA graduates and honors undergraduate business majors. The School of Management is planning to offer MIMS courses starting in the Spring of 1996.