The speeches that some students make at Panola College are sometimes seen and heard beyond the privacy of classrooms. In one distance learning class, the instructor has the students record themselves, then upload the videos to YouTube for millions to see. Four campus classrooms give students access to real-time interactive lectures from other colleges and universities. Teachers can also incorporate podcasts or video into classrooms without much hassle, said Allen West, director of information technology.
These examples of digital instruction earned Panola College the top honor among small colleges with less than 3,000 students, according to the Center for Digital Education.
The Center surveyed hundred colleges nationwide to find out how they have been innovating with technology in areas including online admissions, student access to transcripts and grades, and curriculum and campus life. Thirty-six in three enrollment catagories were selected for their technology programs.
The Digital Community College survey is conducted annually by the Center for Digital Education and recognizes outstanding utilization of information technology on community college campuses. The 2009 survey was underwritten by HP ProCurve and Oracle.
