Distance Education in North America

1. Distance Education in North America Entering the Mainstream

2. How the Web is Changing Distance Education • Increasing Access to Specialized Programs • Increasing Institutional Diversity • Multiple Points of Institutional Innovation • New Institutional Community • Offering a New Pedagogy • Creating New Institutional Models • Mainstreaming Distance Education

3. Beyond Access: Transformation • 1892 -- Industrial Revolution as Driver • 2006 -- Information Revolution as Driver

4. 1892 Industrial Revolution Information Highway: RFD Immigration Urbanization Industrial and Agricultural Mass Education New Institutions Land Grant Colleges Normal Schools 2006 Information Revolution Information Highway: WWW Globalization Networked Society Professional Education Communities of Interest New Institutions Virtual Networks For-Profit Companies A Comparison

5. Growth in Online Education • 18.2% annual growth in enrollments in 2004-05. • Number of online enrollment increased from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million in 2004. • The online enrollment growth rate is more than ten times that projected by the National Center for Education Statistics for the general postsecondary student population. • Growing by Degrees, Sloan Consortium, 2006

6. Evidence of Mainstreaming • 65% of schools offering graduate F-2-F courses also offer graduate courses online. • 63% of schools offering undergraduate F-2-F courses also offer undergraduate courses online. • 44% of schools offering F-2-F Master’s degree programs also offer Master’s programs online. • 43% of schools offering F-2-F Business degree programs also offer online Business programs. • Growing by Degrees, Sloan Consortium, 2006

7. Evidence of Mainstreaming • 65% of i institutions mainly use core faculty to teach their online courses compared to 62% that report they are using primarily core faculty to teach their face-to-face courses. • 74% of public colleges report that their online courses are taught by core faculty, as opposed to only 61% for their face-to-face courses. • Growing by Degrees, Sloan Consortium, 2006

8. Evidence of Mainstreaming • Institutions that identify online education as a critical long-term strategy grew from 49% in 2003 to 56% in 2005. • Largest increases are in Associate Degree institutions; 72% now see online part of their long-term strategy, up from 58% in 2003. • The smallest institutions--private nonprofit institutions and baccalaureate colleges-- remain the least likely to see online education is part of their long-term strategy. • Growing by Degrees, Sloan Consortium, 2006

9. Emerging Social and Institutional Benefits • Access • The Ability to Aggregate Learning Communities • Specialized Degree Programs • Equity in Multi-Campus Systems • Curricular Integrity • Multi-Campus and Distance Education Programs • High-Enrolling On-campus Programs • New Pedagogy for the Information Society

10. The New Pedagogy • Focus on Inquiry and Problem Solving • Resource-Focused Rather than Content Focused • Collaborative • Develops Skills Needed for Information Society Work

11. Online Learning for Workforce Education • Workforce Development a Critical Social Issue • Shift from Industrial to Information Society • Demographic Changes • 80% of new jobs require a degree • Innovation--problem recognition, problem solving--a key to competitiveness

12. Trends in Online Learning for Workforce Development • General Emphasis on Adult, Part-Time Learners • Growing Financial Aid Support for Adult Learners • Building the Workforce Pipeline • Virtual Schools • Dual Enrollment • Teacher Education

13. Some General Trends to Watch • Blended Degree Programs • Hybrid Courses • Inter-Institutional Collaborations • Great Plains Idea • Worldwide Universities Network • Cross-Sector Alliances

14. Thank You! Gary E. Miller Associate Vice President for Outreach The Pennsylvania State University gem7@psu.edu