Context Of Distance Education Research Articles

Evaluation Strategies for Midwifery Education Linked to Digital Media and Distance Delivery Technology

The goal of the teaching and learning process for health professionals is the acquisition of a fundamental core of knowledge, the demonstration of critical thinking ability, and the demonstration of competency in the performance of clinical skills. Teaching and learning in distance education programs require that the administration, teachers, and students be creative in developing evaluation strategies that can be adapted to the challenges of the cyberspace on‐line educational environment. Evaluation standards for distance education programs recently have been delineated by federal agencies, private organizations, and academic accreditation associations. These standards are linked to principles of sound education practice that promote program quality, high levels of student‐faculty interaction, and support effective teaching and learning in the distance education context. A growing body of evidence supports the conclusion that technology‐enhanced teaching is equivalent in effectiveness compared with traditional methods when student‐learning outcomes are the focus of measurement. An allied body of literature offers model approaches that can be useful to educators who must also conduct the evaluation of clinical skills, provide feedback, and promote socialization to the nurse‐midwifery/midwifery role for students being educated in whole or in part through instruction delivered at a distance.

Evaluation strategies for midwifery education linked to digital media and distance delivery technology

The goal of the teaching and learning process for health professionals is the acquisition of a fundamental core of knowledge, the demonstration of critical thinking ability, and the demonstration of competency in the performance of clinical skills. Teaching and learning in distance education programs require that the administration, teachers, and students be creative in developing evaluation strategies that can be adapted to the challenges of the cyberspace on-line educational environment. Evaluation standards for distance education programs recently have been delineated by federal agencies, private organizations, and academic accreditation associations. These standards are linked to principles of sound education practice that promote program quality, high levels of student–faculty interaction, and support effective teaching and learning in the distance education context. A growing body of evidence supports the conclusion that technology-enhanced teaching is equivalent in effectiveness compared with traditional methods when student-learning outcomes are the focus of measurement. An allied body of literature offers model approaches that can be useful to educators who must also conduct the evaluation of clinical skills, provide feedback, and promote socialization to the nurse-midwifery/midwifery role for students being educated in whole or in part through instruction delivered at a distance.

Professional development of distance education professionals (DEPs) at TSA : a profile of functions

This article deals with the development of a profile of the functions and required competencies of Education, Training and Development (ETD) practitioners at distance education institutions. Based on literature and within the context of Technikon Southern Africa (TSA), it is argued that a clear distinction can be drawn between the profile of function of ETD practitioners at contact-based institutions and the profile of functions of ETD practitioners at distance education institutions. Firstly, the international and national ETD and distance education contexts are described for the purpose of benchmarking, and thereafter the TSA context is described and aligned to the benchmarks. Finally, a comparison is drawn between the proposed profile of ETD practitioners at a distance education institution and the profile of ETD practitioners at contact-based educational institutions.

A Study of the Relationship Between Tutor's Personality and Teaching Effectiveness: Does culture make a difference?

Good tutoring requires appropriate interpersonal and pedagogical skills. Tutor personality is a major factor affecting how tutors communicate and deals with students, and yet it is a largely unexplored context of distance education. Using the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI)* this paper examines how the personality of tutors’ affects their teaching effectiveness at a distance learning institution in Hong Kong. The results are compared to those reported by Chan (2001) in a similar study using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The results indicate that certain scales on the Chinese Tradition factor of the CPAI are significantly related to tutors’ teaching performance, and that the MBTI could not subsume all the CPAI scales. Future research with the CPAI should explore whether this Chinese Tradition factor is unique to the Chinese culture or whether it comprises elements of a universal domain useful in understanding key interpersonal aspects of personality that have been absent from Western personality inventories.

Appropriate Pedagogy and Technology in a Cross-cultural Distance Education Context

Distance educators are bewitched by the potential of computer-mediated distance learning. Yet computer-based instruction is not always the best option. We work in a context where Maori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand, are a large percentage of learners in our Bachelor of Education (Adult Education). They assert their identity as members of an oral culture wanting to learn in ways that are appropriate to them. While they embrace western technologies most do not have easy access to the Internet. This paper, based on a project funded by a grant from Massey University's Fund for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching (FIET), explores more appropriate technological options for distance education with Maori than printed study guides and the Internet. The paper describes the theoretical base that underpins the project; develops a model for working cross-culturally in distance education; and provides a rationale for the use of an 'intermediate' video indexing technology.

Computer Conferencing: An Environment for Collaborative Project-Based Learning in Distance Education

In this experimental study two independent variables were manipulated. Each was associated with online collaborative learning in a distance education context. One of these (group formation strategy) addresses one of the early decisions that must be made in forming groups for collaborative project work. The second (levels of tutor intervention) relates to the on-going process of group management in a computer-mediated environment. An additional independent variable (type of collaborative project) served as a within-group factor in the design. Two measures of individual achievement (final exam scores and idea units) and a measure of group dynamics served as dependent variables. Prior academic achievement (current grade point average) served as a covariate in the analysis of the achievement data. There were no differences across the two types of projects, but two slightly different interaction patterns emerged from the analysis of the achievement data. In general, however, these results favored the random assignment of students to collaborative groups (as contrasted with allowing students to pick their own partners) and the introduction of low tutor intervention during the course of project work. Two main effects emerged from an analysis of the group dynamics data, one of which supports the random assignment strategy. Because of these findings, it is difficult to suggest a totally unambiguous strategy for formulating and managing online collaborative project work. However, some tentative suggestions are advanced. Some guidelines for online collaborative learning are provided.

Sustaining distance training: integrating learning technologies into the fabric of the enterprise

The Context of Distance Training and Education: Predicting Change (Z. Berge). From Project Management to Strategic Planning (Z. Berge). MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF UNCOMMON ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. Attracting, Training, and Retaining Instructors for Distance Learning at the US General Accounting Office(J. Longnecker). Center for Learning at SBC Communications, Inc. (N. Friend & T. Eisma). The World is Officially Open for Business: How MCI WorldCom University Used the Corporate Intranet to Train a New Era Communications Company (C. Treanor & J. Irwin). Learning at a Distance: Surviving Implementation at the US Army Intelligence Center's Distance Learning Office (J. Ellsworth & L. Iorizzo). Making It Work: Training Short--Term Personnel at a Distance from Reseau Interaction Network (D. Larocque & N. Thomas). Distance Learning Implementation at the Internal Revenue Service: A Catalyst for Organizational Change (T. Scheer). SETTING COMPETITIVE STANDARDS. UAW DaimlerChrysler NTC (J. Codde & R. Egidio). FirstUnion: Distance Learning at Work (S. Latten, et al.).. Fordstar: Sustaining Distance Education at Ford Motor Company (J. Dessinger). Learning to Work in Web--Time--Evaluating Time--to--Market Instruction at Nortel Networks (G. Michalski). The Need for Coaching in a Distance Learning Environment: Lessons Learned at Cap Gemini (J. May & J. De Jong). Hewlett--Packard's Regional Training Center (A. Brance, et al.). ACHIEVING ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS. Building Motivation for Distance Learners in Public Health (B. Polhamus, et al.). Supporting an Enterprise Distance Learning Program at NYNEX (B. Howard).. US Postal Service's Integration of Distance Learning Initiatives to Meet Organizational Goals (M. Wankel). TeleEducation NB: A Province--Wide Distributed Distance Learning Netowrk (R. McGreal). From Training Enhancement to Organizational Learning: The Migration of Distance Learning at the American Red Cross (N. Rogers & S. Becker). Tools for Change: Linking the Organizational Perspective with Distance Training and Education Programs (Z. Berge).

Approaches to Studying and Communication Preferences among Deaf Students in Distance Education.

This investigation examined approaches to studyingamong deaf students taking courses by distance learning whopreferred to communicate using either sign language or spokenlanguage. In comparison with hearing students, the deaf studentsobtained higher scores on comprehension learning, surfaceapproach, improvidence and fear of failure. Whilst they obtainedhigher scores on reproducing orientation, their qualitativeresponses indicated that this was not because they had beendriven to use rote memorisation. In addition, the deaf studentsseemed just as capable as the hearing students of adopting ameaning orientation. In the specific context of distanceeducation, there were no differences in approaches to studyingrelated to the students' preferred mode of communication.However, communicating by sign language rather than speech haddifferent practical consequences for the students' effectiveworkload.

Learning tool or potplant stand? Students' opinions of learning from a CAL program in a distance education context

<span>Although teaching institutions are continually moving towards electronic forms of delivering learning material, a study of first year adult distance chemistry students found that they had developed a successful learning profile based on their present printed learning material and were reluctant to consider the use of alternative methods of delivery. The reasons for this reluctance were explored by developing a Computer Aided Learning program, based on the students existing learning strategies, and offering it as an alternative to printed material. Although many volunteered to use the program only a third of these persevered with its use. Reasons for abandoning the program were generally associated with a fear that they may be wasting their time in having to learn a new method of study. However those that did use the computer program considered it to be a more efficient way of learning than from printed material.</span>

ETUDE – European Trade Union Distance Education

This paper contains some initial reflections on transnational distance learning activities among European trade union educators carried out as part of the European Trade Union Distance Education (ETUDE) project, supported by the European Commission's Multimedia Education Task Force. After a brief introduction to the context of international trade union distance education, the paper provides a short overview of the project before discussing the outcomes of the first transnational training course, which aimed to prepare a group of trade union educators from four European countries to deliver computer mediated distance learning activities in ways compatible with common traditions of trade union education. L'éducation à distance pour les Syndicats Européens. Cet article contient des réflexions préliminaires sur des activités d'enseignement à distance transnationales parmi les enseignants des syndicats européens dans le cadre du projet ETUDE (l'éducation à distance des syndicats européens) soutenu par la « Task force » de l'éducation multimédia de la Commission européenne. Après une brève introduction sur le contexte de l'éducation à distance internationale des syndicats, l'article décrit le projet avant de discuter les buts du premier cours transnational qui doit préparer un groupe d'enseignants des syndicats pour quatre pays européens afin de conduire par ordinateur des activités d'enseignement de manière compatible avec les traditions communes dans l'éducation des syndicats. ETUDE- European Trade Union Distance Education Dieser Beitrag enthält einige Grundgedanken über transnationales Distance Learning zwischen europäischen Gewerkschaftslehrern auf der Grundlage des European Trade Union Distance Education (ETUDE) Projekts, das von der European Commission's Multimedia Education Task Force unterstützt wird. Nach einer kurzen Einführung in die Fernlehraktivitäten der internationalen Gewerkschaftsverbände, liefert das Papier einen Überblick über das Projekt, bevor die Ergebnisse dieses ersten übernationalen Trainingskurses für die Ausbildung einer Gruppe von Gewerkschaftslehrern aus vier europäischen Ländern vorgestellt werden, mit dem computergestützte DL Aktivitäten, die mit den allgemeinen Traditionen der Gewerkschaftsbildungsarbeit kompatibel sind, erarbeitet werden sollten.

Book Review: Distance Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes

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. …

Designing communities of learners for asynchronous distance education

Asynchronous distance education can replicate traditional face-to-face training or education; but, why should it do so? Asynchronous distance education provides an opportunity to create meaningful learning which is not feasible in a traditional classroom, provided that communities of learners that encourage knowledge building and social reinforcement are specifically created. This article describes the need for learning communities within the context of asynchronous distance education. Asynchronous learning communities are specifically relevant for training environments, given the need for instant and constant training with employees who are located in an ever-expanding national and international workplace. Specifically, three types of communities are described: academic, intellectual and interpersonal.

Research with interactive learning environments in three content domains: Descriptive statistics, continuous mathematics and substantive criminal law

With interactive learning environments good learning results can be achieved often. This research is about the use of an interactive learning environment is the context of distance education. One of its main characteristics is the adaptation to student characteristics such as prior knowledge. The results of three experiments are presented, in which students studied at their home PC courses for at least 20 hours in the content domains: descriptive statistics, continuous mathematics and substantive criminal law. Comparisons are made with students studying regular printed courses from the Open universiteit (Ou) and with students studying at ‘conventional universities’. The main conclusion is that students find the interactive learning environment suitable for their study.

An interactive learning environment (ILE) to study statistics: Effects of prior knowledge on the use of embedded support devices

The present contribution focuses on an interactive learning environment for the delivery of distance education learning materials. The use of such an interactive learning environment is foreseen in a distance education context in which students explore and study (part) of the learning materials by means of a personal computer. Research with interactive learning environments is transposed to the development of a course delivery environment, called ILCE, that also supports the development of a course model and learning materials. A learning environment as used in the present study allows students to access the course materials in a more flexible way. The printed self-study materials often do not correspond with the specific needs of a student, are only weakly related to his or her prior knowledge, or do not take account of differences in learning style. Although the printed course materials include text-embedded support devices (e.g., examples, exercises, illustrations), it is questioned whether the available devices provide enough support for each individual student. Therefore, it is argued that an interactive learning environment — in which a student is actively engaged in selecting learning materials (basic content and embedded support devices) — may provide a valuable tool in order to meet the individual needs of the student. Prototypes of an interactive learning environment were tested in two experimental settings. It appeared that all students were actively engaged in selecting the required support devices. However, the results showed that students with a high prior knowledge state manifested a higher amount of interactive use of support devices than their peers with a low prior knowledge state. The latter was especially found for support devices that either reinforce the acquisition process or provide a tool to test one’s mastery level.

Distance education: A particular context for teaching and learning. Introduction to this special issue

This editorial introduction positions distance education in the larger context of educational research and theory construction. Next to a definition of key concepts, the authors elaborate three major issues that are dealt with in distance education research in relation to educational materials. The first issue centres on curriculum and values. The second topic concentrates on the creation of appropriate learning environments. The third issue focuses on the evaluation of effects of materials in use. In discussing the three issues the authors stress the particularities of the distance education context.

The Culture of the Library in Open and Distance Education Contexts

ABSTRACTFor many students entering tertiary education, the library is a foreign world. For open and distance education students, the issues are compounded because the ways of breaking into this new world, of learning the ‘culture’, are significantly limited. This paper explores a number of issues for libraries in open and distance education contexts. It uses the notion of culture to elaborate the complex place libraries have in the educational experience of students, highlights the ambiguity of the role played by librarians and emphasises the need for flexibility in delivering services. This article was originally delivered at the conference Access Through Open Learning: Achieving Flexibility, 29 September to 1 October 1994, Ballino NSW.

Collaboration in distance education: From local to international perspectives

Abstract This article explores the various levels of collaboration found within distance education contexts. A continuum reflecting the local to international levels of collaboration is outlined; descriptions of the components found along the continuum are provided, and the implications for change in higher education institutions engaged in distance education are explored. Necessary modifications in structure, policies, reward systems, and instructional skills are identified and discussed.

The experience of collaboration: Writing and instructional design in distance education

The instructional design process in a distance education context has been well documented within the distance education literature, although most of this literature is written from the perspective of the distance education specialist. There have been few explorations of the experiences of the academic teacher in the writing process and the relationship between an instructional designer and the writer/teacher has seldom been explored from the point of view of the writer/teacher. This paper documents a collaborative process of preparing course materials for a distance education subject on curriculum. The process is described through the eyes of both the instructional designer and the writer/teacher, so capturing the procedural aspects of the event as well as the interpersonal aspects. Many facets of the process which are normally hidden from view are included in the paper as are some of the less obvious outcomes of the collaboration. The literature which calls for a consultative relationship between instruc...