Week 1 Assignment CET 749

Sandy Nightingale

July 13, 2003

Article Critique

“Distance Education as a Catalyst for Changing Teaching in the Community College: Implications for Institutional Policy”

This article describes the results of a qualitative case study (Parisot, 1995) designed to look at the factors that influence faculty decisions relating to the adoption of distance learning technologies and factors that influence changes in teaching style. The results of this study led to the development of the consensus-building model, a model used to link institutional policy to the changing role of faculty in distance learning.

The analysis of data from the study indicated a strong teacher-centered orientation. Primarily, technology was viewed as an enhancement of teaching rather than a way of changing teaching. The faculty involved in the study identified three major factors that would encourage use of technology: role modeling, faculty involvement, and support. Barriers included the amount of time needed to develop programs, as well as attitudes.

The findings of the study provided insight to help design institutional policies that would encourage the use of technology. A conceptual framework for consensus building was developed encompassing four areas: acknowledgement, awareness, acculturation, and affirmation.

Acknowledgement of the need for change is an important first step. Institution wide involvement is needed to create shared vision among all the stakeholders, allowing them to assume a sense of ownership for the process of integrating technology.

The next step, awareness, is when the parties involved are made aware of the innovation and gain some understanding of its function. In this stage attitudinal issues, such as intimidation, resistance to change, and loss of comfort zone, are more important than structural or technical obstacles to influencing the use of technology. Building awareness can be brought about by incorporating trialability, relative advantage, and compatibility. There must be opportunities to experiment with the technology. There is also a need to understand the advantage of using technology, and it must be consistent with existing values.

The third step, acculturation, guides new ways of thinking about teaching and learning. Teachers will need to work with technicians and program developers, which could affect their perception of autonomy and teaching style. Evaluating one’s teaching style and its compatibility with technology as a delivery mechanism could encourage the shift from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered style. Acculturation is the decision-building process.

The final step is affirmation, when the faculty makes a commitment to participate in the adoption of the technological innovation. This stage is important because it is the stage where the faculty not only commits to adopting the technology, but to using it. They may have questions concerning access, use and overcoming problems associated with use. This stage requires positive declaration through policy to ensure institutionalization and continued use of the technology.

I believe that this blueprint for policy could be applicable in my situation. To some degree my school has already utilized portions of the stages in the framework. I believe that for the most part my school has reached the acknowledgement stage. We have a technology committee that consists of our administrators, technology coordinator, and several teachers. We meet regularly to update our technology plan, but thus far we have not dealt with distance education in our plan. We also survey the rest of the staff, students, and community to discover any needs that we should address. I believe that we should also give reports to the other staff members on decisions made by the technology committee. A few of our staff members probably aren’t even aware that we have a technology committee or a technology plan.

My school has done a pretty good job with the awareness stage, by providing some Inservices to learn new technologies, early release time to work with the technologies, and opportunities for working with more experienced peers, although not consistently. We have a fairly technology experienced staff, but there are still a few staff members that are intimidated by new technologies and we have basically left it up to them to come ask for help. Sometimes it is easier just not to learn something new, especially if we are not required to do it. I realize that forcing teachers to use new technologies isn’t the best way, but assistance, support, and encouragement should be provided for them.

At this time, I think that most of our teachers are in the acculturation stage. Eight of our teachers just recently completed the DTL training, and several others completed it in the past. Part of the training covered shifting from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered teaching style. During the DTL training, we were able to observe others teaching over the DDN. I teach first grade, and before I attended DTL, I wasn’t sure how I could use distance education in my teaching. By completing the training I was able to see many ways that distance education could be utilized in the lower elementary. My attitude has been changed, although I am still somewhat intimidated by the technology. I need more practice switching cameras and I feel self conscious in front of the camera. I also am frustrated with the time constraints of teaching over the DDN. It is very difficult to plan a lesson that lasts exactly the right amount of time. I am hoping that my school will provide more Inservices and early releases for the purpose of further development our teaching units and practice of delivery.

I don’t believe that anyone in my school has reached the final step of affirmation as it concerns distance education. Although we receive Spanish classes, upper-level Math and Science classes, and various presentations over the DDN, we only have one teacher that has actually taught a class over the DDN and that was only because he travels between two schools. We have another teacher planning to teach his course over the DDN one day a week, and on the other four days, the students will travel to him for hands-on activities. I’m not sure they are totally convinced that it is the way to go, but they are doing it out of necessity. I believe that this is the stage that my school needs to aim for. But in doing so, we need to keep up the support for the less experienced technology users, continue help them progress at their own individual levels, and continue to expose them to new technologies to motivate them to learn more.