Students at Hong Kong Baptist University are keeping up with classroom studies via technology from Macromedia and Microsoft, despite the school being shut down by the government to help contain the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus outbreak.

The students are taking classes through the Virtual Integrated Teaching and Learning Environment (VITLE), a Webcast program featuring software from Microsoft, interactive applications from Macromedia, and solutions from other technology providers.

"Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX 1.5 makes it possible to deliver multi-way audio, video, and real-time data to so many students at the same time, all streaming through the tiny Macromedia Flash Player on a student's PC," said Dr. Alex C.W. Fung, head of Hong Kong Baptist University's education studies department. "Instructors' lesson plans and learning materials are uploaded and stored on the server ready to use later during the real-time Webcasts of each lesson. Teachers reduced content development time significantly by using Macromedia Flash MX to quickly convert all teachers' existing PowerPoint presentation files before uploading to VITLE."

The World Health Organizaton has pinpointed the coronavirus – a virus family which causes the common cold – as the cause of SARS, which begins with fever, a cough and shortness of breath. The virus, for which there is no cure, vaccine or diagnostic test, has spread rapidly throughout Asia.

Hong Kong has been hard-hit by SARs, with 19 deaths reported over the weekend, bringing the death toll in the city to 88. As of April 18, the WHO estimated there have been 182 deaths worldwide from the mysterious illness.