Mid-Term Assignment

LT 741

Submitted by Sandy Nightingale

October 28, 2001

  

 

Question 1:  Is Distance Education a Discipline?

     In attempting to answer this question, one first must understand what exactly is meant by a “discipline.”  Therefore, I looked up the definition of the word “discipline” in Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1971).  It said that the word “discipline” is derived from the Latin word disciplina which means teaching, learning.  Definition number one stated simply, “instruction,” while definitions two and three also mentioned the words “teaching, learning, molding, and training”.  This leads me to believe that there is indeed a discipline of distance education.  As I read further definitions, definition 5c: self-control, also caught my attention.  Anyone that has taken a distance education class, must realize that a certain degree of self-control and self-discipline is necessary to be successful in completing the course.  The article  “A Discipline of Distance Education” by Borje Holmberg supports the previous statement.  The article reported on an interview study by Gdttert (1983) of more than 500 Fern University prospective and real students.  These students “saw themselves as more competitive, achievement oriented, and assertive” than the average population.  In my opinion, this would also make them more determined and self-disciplined in order to obtain their goals through distance education.

     I also agree with the conclusion in the article, “the investigations that can be foreseen, and the theoretical attempts referred to evidently bear witness to the tangible substance of the discipline of distance education.”

 

Question 2:  Describe the historical development of distance education, both in the United States and internationally.  Include a description of how technology has influence this historical development.

     Exactly when distance learning began is very difficult to pinpoint.  In the book Distance Learning: Making Connections Across Virtual Space and Time by Anthony G. Picciano, the epistles of Paul were described as a form of religious correspondence education.  Letters written on papyrus by scribes to explain religious dogma were also mentioned as a form of correspondence education.  Mail and correspondence courses in the early 1700’s supplemented by public lectures existed in Colonial America.  The author went on to say, “The first formal distance learning programs appeared in the mid nineteenth century as postal systems were developed and as more people learned to read and write.”  Correspondence courses in Sweden, Germany, and Great Britain date back as far as the 1830’s.  William Rainey Harpur helped establish one of the first degree programs by correspondence at Chautauqua College of Liberal Arts in New York in 1883.  Correspondence and home study programs were beginning for primary and secondary education during the early part of the twentieth century in Baltimore, Maryland, Benton Harbor, Michigan, and the University of Nebraska.

     In the 1920’s it was estimated that at least 176 radio stations were established at educational institutions for the purpose of delivering distance learning.  Most of these were replaced as television and video technologies became popular.  PBS continues to be the major national educational television broadcasting service involved with several distance learning projects.  Cable, satellite communications, and fiber optics entered the picture in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  The major development in the 1990’s was digital technology via the Internet and other computer networks.  Using the World Wide Web, text-based e-mail, and group software, ALN’s look to be the future of distance learning delivery systems.

     In the United States, most distance learning programs are extensions of existing school programs, but in Europe and elsewhere, entire schools and colleges have been established as distance learning institutions.

     Today, distance education is available in most countries of the word and every state in the United States.  Technology has influenced the historical development of distance education every step of the way from one of the simplest forms of technology, the written word, to more sophisticated technologies, such as the Internet.  Who knows what future technologies have in store for distance education!

 

Question 3:  Describe at least 5 approaches to distance education that have been or are being used.

     The use of the Internet for distance education resulted in many advantages for both the student and the teacher.

  • Distribution of knowledge on a large scale;
  • Reduction of distribution costs;
  • Corrections and updating are simple and immediate;
  • Several techniques for assessment are possible;
  • Support for collaborative writing;
  • Easier for student to give feedback, which allows for formative evaluation.

Interactive Television as a Distance Education delivery system involves two-way communication between an originating classroom and remote classroom sites.  These systems provide immediate feedback and participation in interactive instructional processes.  Video and audio signals are transmitted to and from the originating and remote sites.  Learners from every site can see and interact with the instructor during classroom meetings and instructional presentations.  According to Moore and McLaughlin (1992) courses offered by such a system at the St. Cloud State University indicate that students achieve at about the same rate and level as so students in on-campus sites, in fact even a bit better.

     Interactive Television offers these advantages to aid in the learning process for the teacher and the student.

·        Visual imagery

·        Motion

·        Motivation/Interest

·        Persuasion

·        Illustration of major points

·        Summarization of key concepts

·        Presents otherwise unavailable experts or resources

·        Provides a means to bring master teachers, upper level courses, and graduate level courses to smaller colleges

·        Provides enrichment and advanced offerings to students

·        Students and teacher can see each other at all sites

     Computer applications for distance education fall into four broad categories:

1.      Computer Assisted Instruction – uses the computer as a self-contained teaching machine to present lessons;

2.      Computer Managed Instruction – uses the computer’s branching, storage, and retrieval capabilities to organize instruction and track student records and progress;

3.      Computer Mediated Communication – describes computer applications that facilitate communication.  Examples include e-mail, computer conferencing, and electronic bulletin boards;

4.      Computer-based Multimedia – the goal is to integrate various voice, video, and computer technologies into a single, easily accessible delivery system.

     The advantages of the above computer uses in distance education help to meet the needs of both the student and the teacher.

  • Facilitates self-paced learning and/or individualized learning, while giving immediate reinforcement and feedback;
  • Is a multimedia tool;
  • Is interactive;
  • The technology is rapidly advancing;
  • Costs are dropping;
  • Computers increase access.

 

     Print is the foundation of distance education and the basis from which all other delivery systems have evolved.  The first distance-delivered courses were offered by correspondence study, with print materials sent and returned to students by mail.

The following advantages benefit both the student and the teacher.

  • Spontaneous – no need for sophisticated presentation equipment;
  • Instructionally transparent – the medium of delivery should enhance, not compete with, the content for the learner’s attention;
  • Non-threatening;
  • Easy to use;
  • Easily reviewed and referenced;
  • Cost-effective;
  • Easily edited and revised;
  • Time-effective.

     Videocassettes grew in popularity in the United States and other developed countries in the 1980’s as a method of distance education.  The following advantages benefited both the teacher and the student.

  • Easy to use;
  • Self-paced;
  • Graphically rich.

 

 

 

 

Question 4:  Explain Distance Education as a system and identify general components of most DE systems.  Describe how your school or organization could create a DE system.  Remember this goes beyond selecting technology and should include systems components required to make the DE system effective in your context.  Complete this by designing the framework for a system for your school or context.

     Distance learning has an extensive history involving many technologies, and it means different things to different people.  Because of this, the systems theory is established as the basic framework for studying and planning for distance learning.  A systems approach is very helpful to an understanding of distance education as a field of study and is necessary for its success.  A distance education system should include the components of content, design, communications, interaction, learner environment, and management.  There is a subsystem in every distance education system that deals with course design, one that includes many activities working together so that a course is completed on time, with quality, and at acceptable cost.  The subsystem links to other subsystems to form the total system.  The systems model helps us to distinguish good distance education from bad.  Following the systems model, each component process may be developed somewhat independently, but fully integrated with the development and operation of all other components.  The basic systems concepts of “input, process, output” and their relationships are essential to program development.  All “inputs” affect in some way the “outputs”.

 

 

Some examples of inputs would be

  • Student Characteristics
  • Instructor/Tutor Experience
  • Competence of Administrative Staff
  • Efficiency of Course Development
  • Student Access to Resources
  • Response Time
  • Local Site Coordinator
  • Institutional Cooperation/Support
  • Reliability of Evaluation

 

Some outputs include

  • Student Satisfaction Ratings
  • Student Achievement Scores
  • Student Completion Rates
  • Total Enrollments
  • Quality Assessments
  • Accreditation
  • Costs and Revenue
  • Staff Turnover

 

     My school would benefit greatly from a Distance Education System.  Because we are a small school with a small staff, we already do some Distance Education.  There are several high school students that have benefited from enrichment courses, high-level subject matter courses, and undergraduate courses through the Vtel system and through Internet based instruction.  We also have several students that are bused to a nearby school for classes that we don’t offer.  They, in turn, bus students to our school for a class that they don’t offer.  I believe that it would be more cost effective to develop a system in which the teacher for a particular class, as in our case, a Spanish class, would teach at one school in the distance learning lab through the Vtel system to the students at the other school.  He/she would alternate days at each school in order to spend time with each student in his/her class for individual help.  Rather than spend money on a bus and driver every day, the teacher could drive the school vehicle every other day.  The following components of a Distance Education System would be involved in this plan.

  • Content – A qualified Spanish teacher would be hired and the expense shared by both schools.
  • Design of Course – Many specialists from both schools would work together to design the course and provide technology expertise.
  • Communications – Printed books and study guides would be used, as well as the Vtel system for audio and video interaction.  Also, the teacher would have face-to-face contact with each student every other day.
  • Interaction – The teacher would have face-to-face contact with each student every other day, as well as through the Vtel system for audio and video interaction on the other days.
  • Learner Environment – To take advantage of the small group of students in each school setting, activities would be designed that involve interaction among the members of each group.  A site coordinator would be available at each school to ensure that equipment and room facilities are satisfactory.
  • Management – Managers would be responsible for assessing the needs of learners who are not easily assessable.  Administrators must ensure that money, personnel, and time are managed so that courses are produced on time and numerous work tasks fit together.

 

     This same framework could also work for other classes, such as upper level math classes, but probably would not work for Science classes requiring labs or for the Cisco training that we presently offer at our school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holmberg, B. (1986). A Discipline of Distance Education. CADE: Journal of Distance Education. http://cade.athabascau.ca/vol1.1/holmberg.html

 

Moore, Michael G.; Kearlsley, Greg. Distance Education: A Systems View. Wadsworth Publishing Company 1996.

 

Picciano, Anthony G. Distance Learning: Making Connections Across Virtual Space and Time. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 2001.