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Understanding Distance Education Getting Beneath the Surface. Steven G. Sachs Dean of Information Technology Northern Virginia Community College ssachs@nv.cc.va.us. Southern Assn. Of Colleges and Schools 1999 Annual Meeting. Factors in Early Program Success.
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Understanding Distance Education Getting Beneath the Surface Steven G. Sachs Dean of Information Technology Northern Virginia Community College ssachs@nv.cc.va.us Southern Assn. Of Colleges and Schools 1999 Annual Meeting
Factors in Early Program Success • Discrete distance learning program • Support from the top • Focus on high enrollment courses • Faculty involvement in course design • Critical mass of courses • Use of full-time faculty
Issues Bringing Change • DL faculty have changed • DL students are not all the same • Growing interest in asynch courses (everyone wants to get in on the act) • Rapid technology changes • More DL players
. . . More Issues Bringing Change • Students need tech support • Institutions lack plans for DL • Definitions of DL fuzzy • Courses must be more than links • Assessment poses new challenges • ‘Workforce development’ is the new ‘darling’
. . . More Issues Bringing Change Distant Learners need more than courses
Services Students Need • Course Registration • Tuition Payment • Class Schedule • Catalog • Student Handbook • Degree Audit • Orientation • Library Materials • Librarian Help • Tutoring • Academic Advising • Textbook Ordering • Study Skills Help • Writing Center Support • Financial Aid Counseling • Placement Testing • Technical Support • Career Counseling
. . . More Issues Bringing Change Too Few Senior-level Distance Learning Leaders . . . Lots of distance learning managers
Distance LearningLeadervs.Manager • Vision . . . wide vs. narrow • Perspective . . . global vs. local • Motivates vs.protects • Understands Details & Implications vs. ‘Big Picture’ dreamer
. . . More Leaders vs. Managers • Proactive vs.reactive • Problem Solvervs.problem reporter • Politically Astutevs.naïve • Communicatesvs.‘knows’ • Energy vs.potential
Future Directions • More virtual campuses • Mix of technologies • New partnerships • Smaller institutions will opt out
. . . More Future Directions • Textbook related sites will become more important • Distance learning will become a meaningless term
“I am against paper forms, but even I still print out long documents I want to read and annotate. . . . books and magazines still can’t be beat for readability and portability.” Bill Gates Business @the Speed of Thought 1999
To view this presentation online: http://www.nv.cc.va.us/oit/presentations/sacs99 For more information: Dr. Steven Sachs ssachs@nv.cc.va.us (703) 323-3387 Northern Virginia Community College 4001 Wakefield Chapel Rd. Annandale, VA 22003