The article, Modern Distance Education Project for the rural schools of China: recent development and problems,

describes a project funded Chinas central government to provide highquality education to rural Chinese students. China is a country that is considered to be a part of the digital divide mainly in the rural areas. Therefore, a project has been founded which is seeking to improve Chinas digital resources as well as improve the educational system. The objectives of this project are two-fold, alleviating the deficiency of modern distance education in Western China, and preparing teachers for better development of distance education in these areas (Yu and Wang, 2006). The country of China is currently working to reduce the gap in educational resources, beliefs, and methods between the eastern, western, and southern regions. The Modern Distance Education project started in 1998 and focused on developing distance education from the countrys universities. In the six years after, the number of online programs increased from 4 to 68 including 153 majors. As a result of this project, broadband networks and digital satellite networks have been established throughout the nation. Three different technology instruction models have been created and implemented as a part of this distance education project. In the first model, the technology used was CD/DVD and TV sets in rural schools. The idea behind this model was to use instructional CDs for rural schools during the restructuring phases. The advantage of this model is the lower cost while maintaining the quality of education. In the second model, satellite teaching-receiving stations were implemented in central elementary schools. Included in these satellite-receiving systems are computers, televisions, DVD players, and instructional CDs. Teachers can quickly access educational resources quickly through use of the China Educational Satellite Transmission Network. This model includes all the technological hardware from the first model but also introduces Internet and live or recorded broadcasts. These broadcasts are designed to be used as a supplement to the teachers regular instruction. Educational technologists help teachers to learn the technology as well as prepare lessons using technology as well as computers to help aide the classroom activities and develop their technological proficiency. The third and most expensive model involves supplying rural junior high schools with network computer classrooms with satellite-receiving systems, DVD players, and instructional CDs. The goal of this method is to increase childrens information literacy skills, have access to high-quality teaching resources, help student develop self-study skills, and teacher collaboration in lesson planning. At the time of this article, the pilot stage of this project was completed and was still in the implementation stage. However, the key to making this a successful project, and not just an expensive one, is to ensure that the technology is being used as it should and implemented correctly. The article gives suggestions for ways that the project can be improved. One way to improve this distance education project is by conducting research to better find ways of integrating traditional and distance education looking specifically at technology and pedagogy. The project has successfully provided rural schools with technology and high-quality educational materials, but these materials need to be adapted to fit the needs of those living in rural areas and to create educational materials for weak subject areas such as information technology and English. Secondly, more professional development needs to occur to ensure that teachers and staff are keeping up-to-date with technology as well as educational best practices. This project needs to focus on training teachers to be experts using the provided technology. Needs assessments should be conducted in order to determine the most efficient and effective use of technology for educators. The second article, Training Rural Educators in Kentucky through Distance Learning: Impact with Follow-up Data describes an older distance education project from the 1990s. The focus on this project is that of training educators mostly working with special education students. The main reason

this projects focuses on special education is to provide them with state-of-the-art knowledge and skills in instructional practices for children with disabilities since geographic location may limit their accessibility to training programs that emphasize best practices (Grisham-Brown & Collins, 2002) The first of three objectives of the program has been to prepare graduate level personnel to provide appropriate educational programming in rural areas to individuals with MSD (moderate and severe disabilities) and preschoolers with developmental delays. The second objective was to prepare graduate level personnel to provide consultation, inservice, and training to parents, school districts, community agencies and administrators involved with individuals who have developmental and behavior disabilities and who are located in rural areas. Finally, the third objective was to prepare graduate level personnel to consume and conduct applied research related to providing educational services to infants, children, youth, and adults with developmental and behaviors disabilities in rural settings (Grisham-Brown & Collins, 2002). These objectives were met using educational instruction, practicum experiences, and the development of research skills, and lastly through the development and implementation of a thesis project. To aid with these educational experiences, a number of technological components needed to be put in place. First, coursework was distributed through satellite and supplemented with conference calling so students could ask questions and further the classroom discussion. Interactive video was also used so that students and instructors were able to see and hear each other. Also, the project director oversaw practicum by visiting the students on-site as well as supplementing visits with monthly interactive video sessions. Support services were also provided for the project involving clerical, technical, and librarian support. Lastly, team teaching was implemented to allow students to establish relationships with the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling faculty. Results of the project were determined through surveys that were sent to participants years later. Some participants were no longer in the field of special education. Of the 141 surveys that were mailed, 28 were returned with no follow-up with unreturned surveys. As a part of the survey, students were asked their preferred distance education format. A tie at 28% was satellite and combination approach, 25% preferred interactive video or had no preference, and 12% preferred on-site. When asked for the advantages of delivery methods, the most often mentioned advantage was students feeling connected and involved during the on-site courses and were able to gain personal contact with the instructor. For most, the disadvantage to on-site instruction was time constraints due to the distance they needed to travel. For satellite delivery, 50% responses related to convenience. Other comments regarding satellite communication dealt with allowing a larger group of students to take the class and enabling students to network with other professionals. Respondents mentioned disadvantages of satellite delivery being students inability to interact directly with the instructor and other students as well as technology problems. Regarding interactive video, 57% of comments related to ability of students to communicate directly with the instructor as well as other students and to be involved directly in class discussions. Most of the negative comments associated with video delivery system had to do with technology problems as well as students being uneasy about being seen on television. The second project seems to be helpful to some educators in their profession, but it does not seem to have benefited others. It seems as though many teachers have gone back to work without implementing the strategies that were learned during their classes. Due to the low number of returned surveys, it is hard to gauge the actual results as well since the answers of a minority of students may not be the correct representation of the whole.

The rural China project as well as the rural Kentucky project both have good objectives in that the purpose is to deliver high-quality education to those who would not otherwise be able to receive it. I think that there is a need for more of these projects in order to allow rural areas the same educational opportunities as those living in suburban or urban areas. The projects are different in that fact that the China project is geared toward K-12 students while the Kentucky project is geared toward professional development of educators mostly working in special education. The difference in methodologies is that the China project was using three different groups of people using three different types of technology. The methodologies and the development of the projects came about in very different manners and the analysis of results are very different. The planning phase and implementation phase both seemed to be quite similar in that it was planned what technology would be implemented and how it would be used. The China project was generously funded project in that it cost the Chinese government 10 billion Yuan and the project has taken on many forms since its beginning as it began as a project named Preparing Tomorrows Female Teachers. After two years of this project, the Modern Distance Education Project for Rural Schools was created from Chinas MOE and the Li Jia Cheng Foundation. After two years of implementation, the project passed final evaluation from Chinas National Center of Educational Technology and the moved toward the pilot stages in the western and middle provinces. Therefore, the design and implementation of this project has spanned over the course of several years. The plan for carrying out instruction through the means of distance education was accomplished through promoting the exchange and sharing of educational resources among many areas and better developing the rural areas by minimizing their social economic, and educational differences from the urban areas (Yu and Wang, 2006). The University of Kentucky gained funding for the distance education project through the U.S. Department of Education since 1989. This project was created through the University of Kentucky using their graduate courses to provide distance education to educators in rural areas from 1989 to 1996 and the surveys were conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The project started as a traditional learning situation involving one faculty member in southern Kentucky, but through funding, distance education was added to the program allowing students in rural areas to take classes with on-site practicum supervision. The survey in the article is the main form of assessment given to the project, but no other formal evaluation measures are mentioned. The survey is also the second survey that was conducted to ensure the effectiveness of the program. Even though both projects have their advantages and disadvantages, I tend to prefer the China project over the Kentucky project. The Kentucky project did include a survey as part of its assessment methods, but that seem to be the extent of the results. The article did state that the survey is a good starting part in that it is one attempt to gather data on those outcomes and provides insight into other evaluation levels (Grisham-Brown & Collins, 2002). Even though the China project did not include a survey or any formal assessment, it did include several thoughts for improvement, the major one being that of professional development and maintenance of the technology. The article also mentions the fact that the instructional content of the program needs to be improved so as to not only have canned educational materials, but rather to have educational materials that are directed toward rural students. Furthermore, it is stated that the goal of the distance education should be to supplement the educational materials that would not otherwise be available without distance education. Also, there is mention of the need to bring in evaluation agencies to ensure that the money is spent well and the project is kept on track. Another identifiable improvement is the cooperation among different organizations involved in the project as well as the need for continuing funds and, most importantly, making sure the funds are allocated in a correct manner.

Works Cited
1. Grisham-Brown, Jennifer; Collins, Belva C. Training Rural Educators in Kentucky through Distance Learning: Impact with Follow-up Data. Rural Special Education Quarterly, v. 21 issue 4, 2002, p. 12-20. 2. Yu, S. Q.; Wang, Minjuan J. Modern distance education project for the rural schools of China: recent development and problems. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, v. 22 issue 4, 2006, p. 273-283.