Multi-University Collaboration via Distance Learning to Train Rural Special Education Teachers and Related Services Personnel

This article describes a multi-university model for delivering a course via distance learning in Kentucky. The course, Transdisciplinary Services to Students with Deafblindness and Other Multiple Disabilities, was offered through compressed video to students at three (3) universities, one (1) private college and four (4) additional sites. A lead instructor (first author) and a team of specialists from various disciplines (e.g., nursing, vision, physical therapy) taught the course. Participating students at the graduate and undergraduate levels observed team assessments, engaged in consensus building activities and developed group projects to develop their teaming skills. Evaluation data, collected at the end of the course, suggest that this format has promise for teaching courses where single institutes of higher education, particularly those in rural regions, may have limited resources. Suggestions are offered for meeting the challenges associated with this type of delivery.