Feb. 18, 2004

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ATLANTIC OCEAN - Dean Castillo's watch over 4.5 acres of flatness keeps him ever mindful of ecology and the role all play in the environment.

Years from now, the McKinney native hopes, his view will include more wildlife. But for now, the Navy lieutenant surveys the massive flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman during his workday, then heads for the ship's computer connections to log into his ecology class at Texas A&M University.

"I had never been to College Station until last Christmas when I flew there to pick up my books," said Castillo, a Naval Academy graduate who now is pursuing a master's degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M. "I had looked online for a way to pursue a graduate degree from an aircraft carrier, and I found Texas A&M to be a leader in both distance education and agriculture."

So Castillo -- reached recently by phone -- completes his daily military duties, works out, then logs on to Dr. Clark Adams' "Ecology for Teachers" course, which airs twice weekly on KAMU-TV from the university's College Station campus and on the Internet.

"This type of non-traditional teaching gives us the ability to reach out to external audiences and meet the higher education needs of the public at large," said Adams, professor of wildlife and fisheries sciences. "Web-based courses save students considerable time and money as well."

Whether it's military duty, geographical or economic considerations that keep one from pursuing a degree, distance education can help a person reach that goal.

"We've done student surveys that indicate getting to and from a traditional class on a campus takes about three hours," Adams pointed out. "For a lot of students earning a wage, that kind of time each day would cut too much out of a budget. The whole scholastic thing can include a lot of economic baggage."

Adams noted that because about 80 percent of U.S. homes have Internet access, this type of technology has great potential "to address the educational needs of the masses."

An unlimited number of people can enroll in the class, technically called WFSC 420. Once enrolled, students have access to the Web site where, at their convenience, they can review class notes, take tests and consult with Adams via e-mail.

"One student e-mailed me that she was glad to be able to watch the entire lecture while feeding her baby," Adams recalled.

The TV professor sticks to his vow to answer all student e-mail within eight hours of receipt, an activity he also completes on his schedule -- often from his home.

"I have more dialogue with students now than I've ever had," said Adams, who has been teaching for 40 years. "You don't even have to coax them. By themselves at a computer, a student is not as timid as in a traditional classroom."

But the public television-sponsored class has spun off into another, unexpected type of education, Adams noted.

"People stop me in the stores and say they saw me on television," he noted. "Because the class is on TV, anyone can watch it.

"Of course, I think there are some pre-schoolers with a contract out on me because my show comes on opposite of one of theirs," he added, laughing.

More information about Adams' ecology course and other distance education classes at Texas A&M can be found at http://webct.tamu.edu