Mixed didactic model
As has been mentioned beforehand, the start-up of an organizational and structural model has allowed a new pedagogic model to be created that fulfils the requirement of flexibility and that manages to avoid the isolation of the student. This is a mixed model that empowers traditional systems by using a way of teaching unencumbered by spatial-temporal limits, but still maintains direct interaction. The model of distance teaching proposed by NETTUNO considers the distance arrangement that includes activities out of which the student studies alone and activities that use new technologies and activities that make the student interact with other people -either in person or at a distance. With this model, one is able to attain "that difficult synthesis between interaction and independence" (Garito, 1996). The two models are described below:

Traditional Method

Distance Method

Satellite Television
Satellite television and the Internet are fundamental among the technologies used by NETTUNO. All of the teacher's courses are broadcast on RAI channel 2 and are aired 48 hours a day on two satellite channels RAI NETTUNO SAT 1 and RAI NETTUNO SAT 2 , which the RAI beams from the EUTELSAT HOT BIRD 2 satellite. There are 280 courses produced by the NETTUNO network for a total of 14000 hours of university video-lessons. Besides the Videolessons, there are didactic books, workbooks, multimedia software and products, and didactic Internet web sites linked to the video-lesson that are used for the distance learning courses.

Traditional Didactic Methods
By planning different distance teaching and learning activities it was taken into account that distance teaching, through mass media (even allowing for the use of interactive processes) does not solve many students and users' problems with their difficulty in relating to a far, remote, and impersonal structure.
Therefore, in order to prevent such from happening, time and places have been given so the student can take the initiative and take advantage of such direct meetings. In particular, the traditional method provides face-to-face meetings for direct interaction between student and teacher or tutor. Traditional tutoring undoubtedly has the advantage of allowing shortcomings to be dealt with on-the-spot through the relationships teachers and students have established in NETTUNO's University Technological Poles during the course of the lessons. The possibility, on the teacher's part, to ultimately motivate the student by creating a positive and open climate is surely one important element of direct contact. At the same time, the face-to-face method breaks up the student's isolation and permits him or her to "socialize within a group". It also creates opportunities for collaboration, exchange, discussion, and debate with other students.

Synchronous Method
In the synchronous method, the development of new technologies has brought with it a particularly significant innovation. Telecommunication has made it possible to initiate interaction in real time without needing the participants to be present in the same place. Time unfolds simultaneously for all, but place is no longer a necessary condition. Just like in the case of collaborative learning mediated through writing, interaction happens not only with technology, but also occurs between groups of students, groups of instructors, and between students and instructors. The synchronous method, therefore, allows collaborative learning to be carried out through video-conferencing, conference calls, and chat both audio and video on the Internet.

New Teaching Models
The new proposed models imply there's been a change in the traditional standing of university professors; they are no longer privileged providers of knowledge. NETTUNO Professors learn to give lessons on television, to plan and complete multimedia products and virtual laboratories; they've had to learn to teach with video-conferencing and to create didactic web sites on the Internet. Professors have had to guide students in the process of learning by one-self using non-traditional tools, methods, and technologies. They have had to create new types of books. These professors have the dual function of teaching on television, but at the same time, supporting learning through telecommunication networks and technologies.
Using a medium like television has brought change in traditional didactic communication. In the new didactic model, professors are forced to find new ways to explain, sum up, and present their knowledge to a virtual student in such a way that the process of learning becomes critical and reflective. The Videolesson requires special preparation and, in order to take full advantage of the medium's power; the teacher works together with technicians and experts in visual language. Every video hour requires from 20 to 30 hours of preparation. The teacher has thus naturally developed new communication skills and has learned how to use new languages for memorizing his/her own research results and for teaching regular, traditional academic courses.
NETTUNO professors learn to communicate with students and colleagues live through audio and video conferencing, or in real time through Internet's forums and chat rooms. Users can discuss the video-course's contents and talk things out if results are unclear. They can develop collaborative learning, help solve problems and also help overcome those difficulties that distance learning students often run into: difficulties tied to the isolation of self-study and learning.
In telematic spaces, the teacher teaches interactively; he/she asks the students questions, the students answer, they interact with the instructor and with each other. The collaborative learning they develop is similar to what comes out of working in groups (what normally results from in-class, face-to-face teaching).
In NETTUNO's didactic system, technology is not inserted passively into the university's didactic activities -as if it were any other type of tool. Rather, technology is an active subject; it has become the teacher's new working tool. Without a doubt, this experience has created much reflection over the ways knowledge is communicated and therefore over the university's didactic. Professors are exposed not only to their students' judgment, but now even more so to the judgment of their colleagues and those who chose to follow their lessons on television and connect to NETTUNO's didactic web sites (the sites where all distance learning course materials are found and where there are forums for discussion of various subjects).

Television - all Distance University Degrees are broadcast on tow satellite channels RAI NETTUNO SAT1 and RAI NETTUNO SAT2 broadcast through the RAI utilizing the satellite Hot Bird of EUTELSAT, some courses are even broadcast on RAIDUE at night. The possibility of having at disposal two digital satellite channels, that covers all European countries, including Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, makes Italy the first country that broadcasts university level courses 24 hours a day.

During the videolessons professors, beside transferring knowledge on a specific subject, encourage the student towards a certain studying and learning method and towards a critical analysis of examination material.

Internet - the principal function of the NETTUNO web site (http://www.uninettuno.it) are two:

Information function: providing courses catalogue, study plans for each Distance University Diploma or Degree and the programme for each subject with related texts and didactic software suggested; courses broadcasting calendar on RAI NETTUNO SAT 1 and 2 and on RAIDUE, practice exercise activities and tutoring timetable, exam calendars of all supplying universities.

Didactic function: the Internet web site allows to integrate the videolessons broadcast on television with the video professor web pages where one can find texts, selected links, on line exercises, forum, e-mail and chat allowing students to communicate and interact in real time between themselves and the teachers.

Students have at their disposal on Internet a telematic tutor for each subject. With the Internet web site the learning and teaching space is unlimited; it is possible in fact, through link building, have access to data banks and information spread all over the world. On these possibilities are based the "Forum" of discussion related to course arguments allowing to extend the dialogue between teachers and students, taking place no more at the sole Faculty and University level. Moreover, thanks to the space dedicated to the direct dialogue between professors and students in real time, the "chat", real virtual meeting are possible. To the Internet web site is has also been associated the e-mail service (info@uninettuno.it), allowing an indirect and asynchronic interaction and a fast exchange of information and didactic materials.

NETTUNO students, studying utilising new technologies, get through a dual goal: they do not only get a high specialised and qualified education in different sectors, but at the same time acquire languages and competencies necessary to utilise new technologies as a learning tool, competencies which are today necessary to get into the information society job market.

All courses will be put on the Didactic Portal on Internet and the on line NETTUNO educational services acquisition will be possible for different kind of users. The final goal is to make of the NETTUNO Didactic Portal not only a place to find up dated information or practice exercises on line, but also a place to share knowledge, a sort of virtual community having the common theme of the University education.

Besides the possibility to integrate different technologies utilised by NETTUNO (Internet, Satellite television, Internet by Satellite, etc.) brings out how this model can help traditional universities of different countries and give life to a not only open university but to true European university.