Distance Education and Instructional Technology in Higher Education

1. Distance Education and Instructional Technology in Higher Education Presented by Sue Spahn spahn@nsu.nova.edu

2. Morning Agenda

3. What Is Your Definition of Distance Education? Your Responses Please…

4. Definitions of Distance Education • Learning from, with, or by any experience that includes human and non human resources, geographically distant or close.” (Schrum, 2002) • Learning that takes place between instructor and learner separated by place and time.” (Moore, 1988) • Distance education isplannedlearning that normally occurs in adifferent place from teachingand as a result requires: • special techniques of course design • special instructional techniques • special methods or communication by electronic and other technology • as well as special organizational and administrative arrangements.” (Moore, Kearsley, 1996)

5. DISTANCE EDUCATION OFFERINGS AND ENROLLMENT: Percentage of 2-year and 4-year postsecondary institutions offering distance education courses or planning to offer them within the next 3 years of the survey and total course enrollments, by type of institution: 1997–98 and 2000–01 http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2004/section5/indicator32.asp#info

7. Distance-Education Course Enrollment Nearly Doubled"Distance education is both a sign of the times and a harbinger on the future delivery of education services." By News Story - July 2003 • Among all two and four-year institutions in 2000-2001, 19 % had degree or certificate programs designed to be completed totally through distance education. • The Internet was most often used as a primary mode of instructional delivery Converge - http://www.centerdigitaled.com/converge/?pg=magstory&id=61138

8. E-Learning • global education and training market to be worth roughly $2 trillion • e-learning sector will grow from $10.3 billion in 2002 to $83.1 billion in 2006, and eventually swelling to over $212 billion by 2011 • 2002 -one-third of K-12 schools are already offering some distance learning programs for their students Source: Clickz Stats - Education http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/education/article.php/2237481

9. Distance Education System Model • Sources • Design • Delivery • Interaction • Learning Environment

10. SourcesWhat Are the Sources of Information? • Organizational needs • Curriculum • Discipline content • Theory/History • Teaching practices • Institutional history • Philosophy • Mission statement • Value placed on DE • Student needs • Demographics • Flexibility

11. Design • Instructional Design • SME’s (Subject Matter Experts) • Instructional designers • Media • Experts in specific media • Program • Sequential, in/out anytime, one shot • Evaluation • Feedback to whom?

12. Delivery System • Print • Radio – preferred immediately before WWII • TV and Programmed Instruction – 60’s • CBI – 70’s • Audio Conferencing – 80’s • Compressed Video Conferencing and Satellite downloading – 90’s • Internet-2000 • IP conferencing - 2004

13. Interaction • Instructors • Tutors • Counselors • Administrative Staff • Other students

14. Learning Environment • Workplace • Home • Classroom • Learning Center

15. So Where Do You StartTo Plan or Re-examine a DE programs?

16. 10 Steps to Ensure a Quality Distance Education Program

17. Is there a need for DE Program? Needs analysis 1 • Student population • Maturity - readiness for learning at a distance • Distances from campus • Time available: working days, learn nights, etc. • Is physical plant an issue? • Need for classroom space • Anticipated growth • What else should be included with the needs analysis?

18. Once you have established a NEED for a distance education program, what is Next?

19. Resources What are your present resources? 2 • Present … • Student support: Admissions, Registrar, Academic advisement, Financial Aid • Information Technology • Media department: printed materials such as study guides, graphics department, video productions • Library Services: Research and Reference materials, Book distribution, others. • Instructional support: faculty training & development, instructional designers

20. Moving From What Is to What Should Be.

21. Student Support Systems 3 • Admissions • Registrar • Financial Aid • Bursar • Academic advisement

22. To get a good idea of how your system works, try flowcharting a DISTANT EDU. student through the entire process from first contact to entry into first course and final grades. Any weakness in the system will show up in the flowchart process.

23. Information Technology 4 • Administrative system • Main Administrative Data system • Instructional systems • Course Management • Delivery system(s) • Network/Internet • LANS, WANS and INTERNET Servers • Interconnectivity of systems • Security: Portals, Firewalls,

24. Media Department 5 • Printed materials • Study guides • Postal services for mailing • Graphics department • Charts • PowerPoint presentation • Video production • Taping of lectures, experiments, etc. • Distribution system for video tapes/DVD

25. Instructional Design Good Instruction just doesn’t happen, it has to be designed! 6 • Instructional designers who understand unique aspects of the learning environment. • Distance Education materials require repackaging and redesign • Wide variety of Instructional Design Models • Theory of Transactional Distance • Dialog and Interaction Paramount • WebCT Exemplary Courses

26. Distance Library Services 7 Presented by Johanna Tunon Head of Distance and Instructional Library Services

27. Delivery SystemsPresented by Dr. Marsha Burmeister 8 • Choosing a Delivery System(s) • Location of the Learners. • Skills and resources of learners • Institutional support and budget • Choosing a Course Management systems • Analysis of Course Management System

28. Faculty/Student Support 9 • Faculty: • Readiness of faculty to teach online • Training in both the software skills and the new pedagogy pyridine. • Ownership and copyright issues of teaching materials • Class size • Compensation and work load

29. Student Support • Initial technical help with Instructional system. • Help Desk – support for connection difficulties, basic operating system • Phone, email, IM • Online written instruction • Faculty – specific to course requirements

30. Evaluation and Improvement 10 • Evaluation of Online Courses and Programs: A Bibliography • Guidelines and forms for use in evaluating Distance Education

31. References Schrum, Lynne, Oh What Wonders You Will See: Distance Education Past, Present, and Future, Learning and Leading with Technology Vol. 30, 3 Nov. 2002 pg 7-9,20 Moore, Michael G., Kearsley, Greg, Distance education: a systems view, Wadsworth Publishing Company, Ca., 1996 p.2 Moore, Michael Gl, Telecommunications, Internationalism, and Distance Education, The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 2 N.1,1988 Retrieve from WWW http://www.ajde.com/Contents/vol2_1.htm National Center for Educational Statistics http://www.nces.ed.gov Spahn, Suzanne. Summary of Distance Education Information for Higher Education Leaders, Presentation at Institution for Public Policy and Executive Leadership and Higher Education, October 15, 2004 North Miami Beach, Fl. Fitzpatrick, J.L., Sanders, J.R., & Worthen, B. R. (2004). Program Evaluation: Alternative Approaches and Practical Guidelines. Owen, J. M. & Rogers, P. J. (1999). Program Evaluation Forms and Approaches.