A Master of Education program at a public university system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) employed a distributed delivery system utilizing videoconferencing to allow students in disparate locations to join together for a course of studies. An instructor taught each course from one of six campuses on a rotating basis. Each cohort of students was tied-in to the lecture and presentation via videoconference and was able to hear, see, and participate in all classroom activities in real-time.

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... ed tele-presence supported distributed course delivery (TSDCD), this method of instruction was intended to allow students in remote locations to participate in degree programs and utilize the expertise of a limited number of teaching staff. Nine educators have taught courses using the TSDCD system. The research question for this qualitative study addressed teaching and asked, what was the best pedagogical practice for teaching in such a system? Data was generated from a survey of teachers who participated in the program. The findings identified a set of best practices. They included making each lesson student centered, utilizing an inter-cohort and intra-cohort discussion model in class sessions, using the on-site tutor as a facilitator for inter-cohort discussions and activities, and the need to develop lesson plans that are specific in their goals and the timing of each activity. These best practices, and others identified in the findings, can inform the teaching practice of an educator working within distance education modalities.