WHEN the lecturer appeared on the television screen, the students gathered at Hongkong Telecom CSL's conference room listened attentively as she might require instant feedback, even though she was teaching them miles away from the city of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia.
This was Hongkong's first-ever academic ''Video-conferencing''. It took place recently during which some 20 students from Caritas Hongkong Adult and Higher Education Service received a long-distance lecture from Dr J McGilp, a professor at Australian Catholic University (ACU).
Video-conferencing is instant audio-video transmission via optic fibre cables. The service is provided by VideoNet from Hongkong Telecom CSL.
The students, mostly professionals from different sectors, are in a graduate Diploma of Administration programme offered by ACU and locally administered by Caritas.
Dr Deirdre Duncan, a visiting ACU associate professor who co-ordinated the lecture, said: ''This medium brings a wider range of course experts to Hongkong. ACU uses video-conferencing for distance education because it has eight campuses spanning thousands of miles on the Eastern seaboard. It seems natural for us to extend this service to Hongkong as well.'' Although the service is costly, Dr Duncan said it reduced travel and accommodation expenses from visits made by overseas lecturers.
Such technology has been used mainly in business communications in Hongkong, according to Mr Denis Chen Poonis, VideoNet Customer Service Executive.