Studying Faculty Perceptions of Rigor in Online College Courses- Compromising or Accommodating?

Distance and online education are popular training modes in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and open education. Accreditation is one of the approaches that many countries across the world have implemented to assure the quality of higher education, including distance learning programs. This study investigates the rationale and future directions for quality assurance and accreditation of distance education programs in Vietnam. First, the paper presents concepts of distance education, and quality assurance and accreditation of distance education. Second, the research reviews experiences of implementing quality assurance and accreditation for distance education from several countries in the world. Next, the paper analyses the rationale for conducting accreditation of distance education programs in our country. Finally, the study proposes three groups of recommendations for the national quality assurance organization, accreditation agencies and higher education institutions to be able to implement the quality assurance and accreditation of distance education in Vietnam successfully.
 Keywords
 Quality assurance; Accreditation; Distance education; Online learning; Higher education
 References
 [1] UNESCO, Distance education in Asia and the Pacific: country papers, Volume III (Singapore - Vietnam), 2009. www.unesco.org/education/pdf/53-23c.pdf.[2] UNESCO, Open and distance learning: trends, policy and strategy considerations, 2002. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001284/128463e.pdf.[3] Owusu-Boampong, A. & Holmberg, C., Distance education in European higher education – the potential, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, International Council for Open and Distance Education and Study Portals B.V, 2015.[4] Australian University, Distance learning Australia, 2018. http://www.australianuniversities.com.au/distance-learning/.[5] Darojat, O., Nilson, M. & Kaufman, D., Quality assurance in Asian open and distance learning: policies and implementation, Journal of Learning for Development, Vol. 2, No. 2 (2015) 1. [6] Jung, I. & Latchem, C., Quality assurance and accreditation in distance education and e-learning: models, policies and research, Routledge, London, 2012.[7] Wang, Qi., Quality assurance - best practices for assessing online programs, International Journal on Elearning, Vol. 5, No. 2 (2006) 265. [8] Friedman, J., 10 facts about accreditation in online degree programs, U.S.News & World Report, February 9, 2017. https://www.usnews.com.[9] U.S. Department of Education., Accrediting agencies recognized for distance education and correspondence education, 2018. https://www2.ed.gov. [10] The Australasian Council on Open, Distance and e-learning (ACODE), Benchmarks for technology enhanced learning, ACODE, Canberra, 2014.[11] Bollaert, L., NVAO’s accreditation of online education in a nutshell, 2015. https://www.nvao.net.[12] Henderikx, P. & Ubachs, G., Quality assurance and accreditation of online and distance higher education, 2017. https://www.unic.ac.cy.[13] Stella A. & Gnanam, A., Quality assurance in distance education: The challenges to be addressed, Higher Education, Vol. 47, No. 2 (2004) 143.[14] Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), Code of practices for open and distance learning, MQA, Kuala Lumpur, 2013.[15] COL, DEMP & UNESCO, Quality assurance toolkit for distance higher education institutions and programmes, COL, Vancouver, 2009.[16] Vietnamnet, Mở đào tạo từ xa sẽ không cần cấp phép, 2017. http://vietnamnet.vn. [17] Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), Quality assurance of online learning: discussion paper, TEQSA, Melbourne, 2017. [18] Nhân dân Điện tử, Phát triển đào tạo từ xa đúng hướng, 2017. http://www.nhandan.com.vn.[19] Nguyễn Hữu Cương, Một số kết quả đạt được của kiểm định chất lượng giáo dục đại học Việt Nam và hướng triển khai trong tương lai, Tạp chí Quản lý giáo dục, Tập 9 Số 8 (2017) 7.[20] Cục QLCL - Bộ GD-ĐT, Danh sách các CSGD đại học; các trường cao đẳng, trung cấp sư phạm, đã hoàn thành báo cáo tự đánh giá, được kiểm định, 2018 (dữ liệu cập nhật đến ngày 31/8/2018).[21] Cục QLCL - Bộ GD-ĐT, Danh sách các chương trình đào tạo được đánh giá/công nhận, 2018 (dữ liệu cập nhật đến ngày 31/8/2018).

HighlightsWhy GAO Did This StudyAs the largest provider of financial aid in higher education, with about $134 billion in Title IV funds provided to students in fiscal year 2010, the Department of Education (Education) has a considerable interest in distance education. Distance education- that is, offering courses by the Internet, video, or other forms outside the classroom- has been a growing force in postsecondary education and there are questions about quality and adequate oversight. GAO was asked to determine (1) the characteristics of distance education today, (2) the characteristics of students participating in distance education, (3) how the quality of distance education is being assessed, and (4) how Education monitors distance education in its stewardship of federal student aid funds. GAO reviewed federal laws and regulations, analyzed Education data and documents, and interviewed Education officials and industry experts. GAO also interviewed officials from accrediting and state agencies, as well as 20 schools - which were selected based on a variety of factors to represent diverse perspectives.What GAO RecommendsTo improve its oversight and monitoring of federal student aid funds, Education should develop a plan on how it could best use the new distance education data NCES is collecting and provide input to NCES on future data collections. Education agreed with the recommendation.Main FindingsWhile distance education can use a variety of technologies, it has grown most rapidly online with the use of the Internet. Online distance education is currently being offered in various ways to students living on campus, away from a campus, and across state lines. School offerings in online learning range from individual classes to complete degree programs. Courses and degree programs may be a mix of face-to-face and online instruction - hybrid or blended instruction. Online asynchronous instruction- whereby students participate on their own schedule-is most common because it pro1 vides students with more convenience and flexibility, according to school officials. In the 2009-2010 academic year, almost half of postsecondary schools offered distance education opportunities to their students. Public 2- and 4-year schools were most likely to offer distance education, followed closely by private for-profit 4-year schools.Students in distance education enroll mostly in public schools, and they represent a diverse population. While they tend to be older and female, and have family and work obligations, they also include students of all races, current and former members of the military, and those with disabilities. According to the most current Education data (2007-2008), students enrolled in distance education studied a range of subjects, such as business and health.Accrediting agencies and schools assess the academic quality of distance education in several ways, but accreditors reported some oversight challenges. Federal law and regulations do not require accrediting agencies to have separate standards for reviewing distance education. As such, accreditors GAO spoke with have not adopted separate review standards, although they differed in the practices they used to examine schools offering distance education. Officials at two accreditors GAO spoke with cited some challenges with assessing quality, including keeping pace with the number of new online programs. School officials GAO interviewed reported using a range of design principles and student performance assessments to hold distance education to the same standards as face-to-face education. Some schools reported using specialized staff to translate face-to-face courses to the online environment, as well as standards developed by distance education experts to design their distance education courses. Schools also reported collecting outcome data, including data on student learning, to improve their courses.Education has increased its monitoring of distance education but lacks sufficient data to inform its oversight activities. …

In the past two decades, there has been rapid demand for higher education in Ghana. This has created continued pressure on the government to institute viable alternative solutions to curb the incidence where qualified applicants are often denied admission to higher education due to limited infrastructural facilities. Distance education has emerged as the best alternative means to help provide admission to qualified applicants, especially those in the field of teacher education. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze secondary data from two public universities that offered teacher education degree programs in distance education. Results indicate an increased progression of students in teacher education programs in distance education over the last ten years. This chapter offers background information on distance education with emphasis on teacher education in Ghana. In addition, the chapter discusses the results of secondary data, prospects, and challenges facing distance and teacher education in Ghana. Possible solutions, recommendations for future research, and conclusions follow.

Is distance learning really a substitute for on-site learning? Perceptions of faculty who teach undergraduate economics using both formats

Distance learning in nursing.

Although the number of distance learning courses and programs has grown exponentially in higher education, adoption has been slower within health professions education (Hunter et al., 2003; Lahaie, 2007). Health professions education encompasses the preparation of graduates for the professions of dentistry, nursing, medicine, and pharmacy, and the allied health professions that include clinical psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. In particular, distance learning has been infrequently used for degree programs that prepare graduates to enter a health profession (Council for Higher Education Accreditation, 2002). Although this has been attributed to curricular requirements such as clinical training and professional socialization, health professions educators have also expressed concerns about quality and the demands on their time (Hunter et al., 2003; Andrews and Demps, 2003; Lahaie, 2007). Health professions educators have more readily adopted distance teaching and learning methods in programs that provide working healthcare professionals with advanced degrees, training, and continuing education (Learn, 1994; Curran, 2006; Long, 2007; Billings, 2007). These methods have also been more willingly implemented within courses that are part of a campus-based curriculum leading to a professional degree (Hunter et al., 2003; Andrews & Demps, 2003; Ruiz, 2006).<br /><br />For more information regarding the Pharm.D. distance learning curriculum at the University of Florida, please visit: <a href='http://pharmd.distancelearning.ufl.edu' target='ufl'>http://pharmd.distancelearning.ufl.edu</a>

Distance Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes edited by Chere Campbell Gibson. Atwood Publishing, Madison, Wisconsin. 1998, 156 pages. ISBN 1-891859-23-4. In Distance Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes, Chere Campbell Gibson and her colleagues explore a variety of topics related distance learners. The contributors are primarily seasoned professionals who hold positions related distance education, academic technology, or the fields of adult, continuing, or vocational education at universities in the United States and Canada. Instead of presenting a to book about distance education, they focus on their experiences and research findings as educators and relate this information distance learners in higher education. In addition, the reader is pointed resources about distance education in the final chapter through a useful list of books, journals, newsletters, and World Wide Web sites regarding distance education. The title suggests that two questions will be answered in this text: Who are distance learners in higher education, and what can higher education institutions do provide quality education at a distance? The first question is answered in Chapter 1. From an analysis of the existing literature, Thompson informs us that distance learners are likely be older, female, employed on a full-time basis, and married. However, she couches this description in the caveat that the profile even for an individual learner . . .must be [understood as] tentative and dynamic (p. 19) and that the distance education population as a whole is heterogeneous. This profile could imply that distance education has had a greater impact on four-year colleges and universities than it has had on community colleges (where students already tend be older, female, and employed on a full-time basis). Distance education provides an avenue for the nontraditional student enroll in the institutions, thus changing the profile of their student body. For senior institutions, this change in student population brings the forefront a question that community colleges have been grappling with for years: How do we serve the educational needs of those students who have work, family, and community responsibilities that compete with learning for their time, energy, and attention? This new question for the senior institutions is reflected in Gibson's observation in Chapter 7: Distance education has had an impact on enrollment in higher education courses, by serving pursuing postsecondary education, . . . husbands [whose] wives work, . . . older persons (beyond the traditional age of 21) enrolled in degree programs, and men and women alike considering recareering in their 30s and 40s (p. 121). The authors also answer the second question implied by this book's title: What can education institutions do provide quality education at a distance? The answer, however, may not be what the reader expects. A central theme running through the seven chapters is that we, as distance educators, need be learner-centered, reflective practitioners (p. 139). Thus, like all other educators, distance educators focus on quality education. Their perspective, however, must widen include the distance education context. As discussed in various chapters in this volume, distance educators share many challenges with their colleagues who teach on campus: how address gender issues, cultural diversity, barriers access, communication problems, and students' academic self-concept; how develop learner support systems; and how enhance learning strategies and student motivation. Distance education, however, introduces another level of complexity into the already complex field of teaching and learning. For example, there are specific skills involved with learning at a distance. As Gibson points out in Chapter 7, the lack of these skills will affect students' academic self-concept as well as their course performance. …

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the consistency with which quality is maintained in the orientation process. Orientation is a key university process intended to prepare new students for life in higher education (HE). For open and distance learning (ODL), orientation can be a key process for lessening some of the challenges associated with the separation of the learner and the lecturer. Indeed, for ODL students, orientation can be fraught with a variety of challenges one of which could be quality problems. Design/methodology/approach Convenient sampling was used to obtain a total of 89 students in the first semester and 34 students in the second semester. The respondents came from all the eight districts in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. They belonged to various degree programmes found in the eight faculties of the institution. Correlation was used to determine quality variations. Using a mixed methods approach, the study sought the views of the students and the relationships between activities done in the two semesters of 2018. SPSS version 16.0 software was used to compute Spearman’s correlations whereas content analysis was used to analyze the open-ended responses to the questa-view. This mixed methods approach helped the researchers to analyze and compare the quality of the orientation sessions. Findings Results yielded a positive and high significant correlation between first and second semester variables (r=0.916, p=0.000), a finding indicating that staff members in the Midlands Regional Campus of Zimbabwe Open University have not changed their ways of conducting orientation. On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), the average ratings for the presentations in the first and second semesters were 4.08 and 4.26, respectively. In the qualitative analysis, adequacy of the venue, timing, coverage of aspects and use of media were all rated positively for the two sessions. However, for the two sessions, some students mentioned negative sentiments to do with the provision of needed materials at time of student registration, the public address system, orientation packages, time management and communication. Research limitations/implications This paper looks at the process of orientation as it was done at one regional campus of an ODL institution in Zimbabwe. It also analyses the quality of the orientation using correlation as a lens that measures consistency and also by critically analyzing content in the respondents’ voices. Implications are that the findings and recommendations can also be applied in other ODL (and even non-ODL) institutions with a view of finally coming up with common policies and procedures with regards to providing quality service and support to the twenty-first century student. Practical implications Findings were relevant and could be used for designing applicable orientation programmes in ODL institutions and for improving the quality of student support and services. Originality/value While a number of studies have been carried out on orientation in HE, it would appear that research on orientation in ODL institutions, especially in Zimbabwe, appears minimal, hence this study covers an unexplored niche.

Background and Purpose. The nontraditional or distance learning model gained considerable attention in the latter half of the 20th century. Through a program of independent study projects, competencies, and thesis or dissertation completion, health care professionals recently have been able to engage in full-time clinical practice while concurrently pursuing further education. The full-time clinician who obtains a postprofessional (advanced) degree via distance education, therefore, has the potential to bridge the gap between clinical professionals and full-time faculty members provided that this education is accepted by those educated in more traditional ways. This study examined the marketability of physical therapists with additional advanced degree training earned through distance education within the academic environment. Methods. Survey questionnaires were mailed to the program directors of all accredited physical therapist education programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Type of institution hiring faculty, area of academic study, and extent of distance education within a curriculum were considered major variables. Results. Of the 174 program directors surveyed, 89 (51%) responded. Twenty-two respondents (25%) reported that at least one faculty member was in the process of completing a postprofessional degree through distance education. Full courses offered through distance education were being considered by 41 (46%) of physical therapist programs, and 16 (18%) were considering a full-degree program through distance education. Faculty candidates educated through traditional programs were viewed by respondents as more qualified than faculty candidates educated through distance means. In addition, faculty candidates with degrees in education, business administration, and public health/policy earned through distance education were viewed more favorably than those with distance-earned degrees in clinical or basic science. Respondents working for nonresearch institutions viewed physical therapists with distance-earned advanced degrees more favorably than did those working in research institutions. Seventy-five percent of recruitment efforts focused on individuals with advanced degrees in clinical or basic science. Conclusion. Despite the positive level of acceptability for faculty candidates with advanced distance-earned degrees in education, business administration, or public health/policy, 75% of the current and anticipated greatest human resources needs for physical therapist programs (eg, basic science and clinical science) were the 2 fields of study least likely to be favorably received if completed through distance education.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted widespread school closures and a swift transition to distance learning, raising concerns about consequences for student success. This study explores academic outcomes in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses during COVID-induced distance learning using student-course records at an U.S. public university. We particularly focus on students from underserved populations and who have below average academic outcomes. Employing an expected shortfall regression strategy, we examine outcomes in the bottom quintile and compare differences between students whose household income were in the lowest bracket or without a parent holding a four-year college degree and peers for whom this was not the case, in distance and in-person learning. We show that during distance learning, students in disadvantaged populations in the lowest quintile had average grade differences of 0.11 and 0.06 points, respectively. We also find that targeted instructional changes in an introductory physics course were associated with narrower achievement gaps. These results suggest that while distance learning posed challenges for underserved students, deliberate strategies to increase interaction may potentially support greater equity in STEM education.

There are several difficulties and obstacles concerning the instruction of an Applied Art discipline through Distance and Online learning only. An example of that is the case of Lighting Design. A complete analysis of the substantial elements of that discipline shows its two-fold character based both on artistic/theoretical and scientific/technical premises. While Distance and Online learning methods are adequate for the teaching of the artistic/theoretical part of Lighting Design, the technical/scientific one demands also face to face sessions, outdoor activities and laboratory experimentation, a condition that will assure the tangible contact of the students with the practical nature of the activity. The same scenario seems to characterize all Applied Arts in the cases where an academic institution of higher education wishes to organize a program for their proper academic teaching. Taking that as example, we could generalize by suggesting that the appropriate way to construct an academic program for an Applied Art should be based on blended learning with the obligatory combination of Distance and Online learning methods on the one hand and face to face sessions and activities on the other.

There are several difficulties and obstacles concerning the instruction of an Applied Art discipline through Distance and Online learning only. An example of that is the case of Lighting Design. A complete analysis of the substantial elements of that discipline shows its two-fold character based both on artistic/theoretical and scientific/technical premises. While Distance and Online learning methods are adequate for the teaching of the artistic/theoretical part of Lighting Design, the technical/scientific one demands also face to face sessions, outdoor activities and laboratory experimentation, a condition that will assure the tangible contact of the students with the practical nature of the activity. The same scenario seems to characterize all Applied Arts in the cases where an academic institution of higher education wishes to organize a program for their proper academic teaching. Taking that as example, we could generalize by suggesting that the appropriate way to construct an academic program for an Applied Art should be based on blended learning with the obligatory combination of Distance and Online learning methods on the one hand and face to face sessions and activities on the other.

Due to Covid-19, there was a sudden shift to distance learning (DL) without prior preparation. Students and faculty surveys showed that 51% of the students were dissatisfied with EL, online communication with their instructors, had difficulty understanding the online class lectures and material and had concerns about exams. Even when face to face instruction was resumed in Fall 2021, some courses were still delivered online. It seems that some departments, colleges, and universities will continue to offer some courses online. To make the best use of online teaching and learning, this article proposes a model consisting of strategies for making distance teaching and learning in foreign language, linguistics and translation college courses effective, interactive, engaging and fun. Those strategies are: Using some free platforms, supplying devices and good infrastructure to both students and instructors, practicing using the platform, supplementing the platform with one or more technologies, orientation, training and support, telling the students about online class logistics, selecting online course material and resources, integrating global topics and participation goals in the class material, practicing a variety of language skills with online videos, blogs, mobile apps and others, using effective teaching techniques, assignments, and activities, giving feedback, motivating and engaging the students, online communication and interaction, nurturing the online classroom community, preparing and following effective and reliable online testing procedures, the instructor’s role in the distance learning environments, evaluating the students’ and faculty DL experience, and providing teachers’ professional development and support.

DISTANCE LEARNING (DL) is education’s gold rush. Many adults need convenience if they are to initiate or finish college degrees. This article, focusing on Distance Learning and the Internet, is divided into three sections. The first section consists of an introduction to the world of DL On-line and includes a four-step road map of success for DL students. The steps are: self-education about DL issues; defining personal, career, education, and financial needs; choosing a DL program; and finding and keeping DL resources and support. The second section deals with the nine different DL applications found on the Internet, the international computer network with over 50 million users. These include: DL Newsgroup discussions; World Wide Web DL information home pages; Financial Aid Web Sites; DL University Home Pages on the Web; Electronic Mailing Lists and Listservs, E-mail Resources; On-line Services; Tutoring On-line; and MOOs (Mind Oriented Object) known as “virtual classrooms.” The final section contains a bibliography of useful DL books, journals, and software catalogs for people who are interested in learning more about DL.

Opening Doors for Future Clinicians: Distance Learning at Longwood Targets Students in Other Disciplines