13 NACTA Journal • December 2012 Abstract Despite the obstacles to traditional distance education courses, distance education and social learning theorists suggest effective distance education courses can be developed. For this study, we designed a new distance education course model and attempted to 1) Test the effectiveness of the virtual education center model, understood through the lens of social learning and distance education theories; 2) Discuss potential improvements to the model; and 3) Build upon distance education and social learning theories. To achieve these goals, distance education courses were offered using the new model. Participating faculty and graduate assistants responded to a survey asking about their experiences with the model. Undergraduate learning was assessed by examining students’ quiz grades, the number of times they attempted quizzes and their ratings and comments for each class period. Students demonstrated learning regardless of whether lectures were live or recorded. Faculty members and graduate assistants learned about biorenewable resources and offering courses through distance education; they also made suggestions to improve future distance education courses. The distance education model used in this study is an effective means of educating students, teaching assistants, and faculty members. Implications for distance education theory and distance education efforts are discussed. Introduction As biorenewable resources have become increasingly important nationwide (Biomass, 2002; Biobased, 2003; Van Gerpen, 2005; Brown, 2003; Kamm and Kamm, 2004), universities have struggled to provide students with the up-to-date education required to train graduates for critical roles in industries producing and using biorenewable resources. Faculty experts on renewable resources, while nationally plentiful, are spread diffusely throughout the country; no single institution has experts in each area of biobased products and technologies. Moreover, although student interest across the nation in this area is significant, student numbers at any single institution are often insufficient to meet minimum enrollment requirements for relevant courses. If students could be shared across institutions, a critical mass of students from multiple institutions could populate a single course. If faculty at each institution could provide lectures for the course, then the overall teaching load for each faculty member would decrease. Taken together, such an approach could simultaneously increase the quality of lectures provided to students and increase the efficiency (student credit hours per unit faculty effort) of instruction. Distance education provides an opportunity for such a model. 1 This research was partially sponsored by USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant Award #2006-38411-17034. 2 Program Coordinator Research Institute for Studies in Education 3 Professor Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering 4 Post Doctoral Research Associate Research Institute for Studies in Education 5 Assistant Director Research Institute for Studies in Education 6 Assistant Professor Agricultural Systems Technology Virtual Education Center for Biorenewable Resources: Humanizing Distance Education 1 Brandi N. Geisinger 2 D. Raj Raman 3 Karri M. Haen 4 Mari R. Kemis 5 Iowa State University Ames, IA Michael L. Pate 6 Utah State University Logan, UT