Dinosaurs over Distance: An Integrated Program Using Distance Learning Technology in the Classroom

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Dinosaurs are recognized as one of the most ubiquitous groups of fossil organisms in the classroom curriculum. There are many resources (books, videotapes, posters, etc.) available to the classroom teacher, but an actual visit to a natural history museum with dinosaur and related paleontological exhibits is out of the reach of the majority of schools unless located near large urban centers or near universities. Advances in distance learning technologies now provide the opportunity to reach audiences unable to visit museums during the course of the school year. These technologies also lend themselves to the evaluation of various pedagogical techniques that bring scientific content to widely dispersed audiences.