Framework For Distance Education Research Articles

A Humanistic Framework for Distance Education

Counselor educators discuss how to maintain humanistic values when using distance education methods to deliver course work. The authors outline 4 principles that guide their practice of humanistic education within technically oriented formats and, specifically, their use of the interactive video network. Specific strategies for implementing each principle are described.

Depois da educação a distância: tecnologia, educação e formação na Itália (1995-2008)

O artigo pretende fornecer um quadro-síntese da educação a distância na Itália. A análise feita trabalha sobre um duplo nível de reconstrução do seu desenvolvimento no país, das primeiras experiências nos anos cinqüenta até hoje, e da elaboração teórica que foi produzida pela literatura especializada. São considerados três âmbitos: a escola, a universidade e a empresa. Em cada um são feitas referências às experiências de maior relevo desenvolvidas nos últimos anos. A hipótese teórica que fundamenta esta contribuição e que se expressa plenamente na conclusão é que os instrumentos da Web 2.0 estão predispondo a uma mudança de paradigma capaz de dar novo impulso a um movimento e a um mercado que, nos últimos anos, está estagnado sobre os modelos e as experiências-padrão.

Learning in the zone: A social constructivist framework for distance education in a 3-dimensional virtual world

Web-based technologies are the medium of choice for most universities as they move their offerings off campus and online. As we continue to move our own programs online we are challenged to consider what elements of our traditional experiences to preserve online, and which ones to modify, and to recognize the impact of the tools we use on our abilities to do so. The social constructivist conceptual framework that guides our college and the 3-dimensional virtual world we have constructed as our online campus for learning to manifest it are described. The result is a distance learning environment that is unlike traditional classroom- or web-based learning environments in important ways. A description of AET Zone is provided and the implications of using a social constructivist framework for designing and delivering an online learning environment are discussed.

Internationally‐educated health professionals: a distance education multiple cultures model

PurposeThis paper aims to explore issues that must be addressed in post‐secondary educational planning and delivery such that social cultural factors within the learning environment are recognized in ways that affirm the learner's cultural traditions.Design/methodology/approachThe adoption of a multiple cultures model of instructional design with an emphasis on implementing flexible learning using instructional technology is proposed.FindingsThe paper finds that as student mobility continues to increase across educational programs and geographic borders, the need to accommodate cultural differences in an increasingly heterogeneous study will have to increase dramatically and, for this to occur, institutions and faculty will have to improve their insight into cultural and learning differences that affect teaching and learning.Practical implicationsDistance education courses are commonly offered in professional upgrading or “bridging” programs as one solution to addressing the apparent knowledge and experience gaps of newly immigrated internationally‐educated practitioners. Useful strategies for accommodating individual styles and preferences in a multiple cultures professional online learning context have been described.Originality/valueLearning preferences and styles are inextricably related to cultural background as well as curricular and course design. This paper provides a much‐needed professional distance education framework that integrates the skills and values of the student with those of the local professional community to create a unified and authentic learning environment.

Faculty Perspectives in the Transition to Online Teaching

This study explores the experiences of faculty new to distance learning across two faculties within a mid-sized Canadian university. An interview and thematic analysis methodology produced results that identified six themes critical in the transition to online teaching. These include: instructors’ affect, organizational culture and context, multi- focused supports, time, instructor role identity, and coping strategies. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of a national distance education framework for instructors transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching in Canadian colleges and universities. This study explores the experiences of faculty new to distance learning across two faculties within a mid-sized Canadian university. An interview and thematic analysis methodology produced results that identified six themes critical in the transition to online teaching. These include: instructors’ affect, organizational culture and context, multi- focused supports, time, instructor role identity, and coping strategies. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of a national distance education framework for instructors transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching in Canadian colleges and universities.

Book Review: Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom

Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom by Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt. Jossey-- Bass Publishing, San Francisco, California. 1999, 206 pages, $29.95, Paper. ISBN 0-7879-4460-2. Reviewed by David L. Dollar. The authors of Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom explore the benefits, problems, and concerns inherent in computer-mediated distance education. As academic institutions move rapidly toward using the Internet to offer courses and programs, they subsequently create virtual universities; instructors must be trained and supported as they move into this technology-driven arena. With this book, Palloff and Pratt make a significant contribution to the discussions and struggles that frame this transition. Their practical and useful guide is designed for faculty who currently teach on-line and wish to discover new ideas to incorporate into their practice. It is equally useful, however, for instructors who are embarking on this journey. Other higher education professionals who will likewise find this book useful are department chairs and deans responsible for developing and delivering on-line offerings, those responsible for faculty and instructional development, and designers who are working with faculty and staff as they make the transition to on-line work. Based on their many years of work in information systems and over five years of experience in on-line distance education, Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of computer-mediated course design and implementation. Palloff and Pratt are managing partners in Crossroads Consulting Group; in addition, they actively teach well-planned and effective computer-mediated distance education courses. Palloff is an adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University and the Fielding Institute, both located in California. Pratt serves as an assistant professor and chair of the Management Information Systems program at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. This outstanding book is divided into two parts. Part One lays the foundation for a distance education framework. Chapter 1 explores the issues involved in teaching and learning when learning takes place outside the classroom and occurs instead in an on-line environment. Key factors in the distance learning process include interactions among students, interactions between faculty and students, and the collaborative learning that results from these interactions. The formation of a learning community wherein knowledge is imparted and meaning is co-created sets the stage for successful learning outcomes. Chapter 2 outlines the process of building a community in an on-line environment. In order for the learning process to be successful in distance education, attention must be paid to the developing sense of community within the group of participants. Community is the essence of these authors' distance education framework. In this chapter, they differentiate for readers between a traditional model of pedagogy and a model that will lead to success in the electronic classroom. Chapter 3 explores in more detail the key issues that need to be addressed by educators striving to build effective learning communities while delivering classes on-line. These issues include virtual versus human contact, connectedness, and coalescence. Additional issues explored by Palloff and Pratt are shared responsibility, rules, roles, norms, and participation. The chapter concludes with an interesting account of psychological and spiritual issues, including discussions regarding vulnerability, privacy, and ethics as they relate to distance education. …

Going the Distance

In the interest of developing a conceptual framework for distance education, the authors describe the use of systems theory concepts in designing, implementing, and evaluating a distance education program. They describe input, throughput, and output factors used in creating and operating the program, as well as the incorporation of feedback in making modifications to the program. The systems perspective allowed the authors to better understand the interaction of variables affecting the operation of the program and where changes can be made to address problems and enhance student learning.

Violence against women: an education program for rural community health workers.

This study aimed to identify the educational needs of community-based rural health professionals regarding violence against women, and was funded under the Rural Health Support, Education and Training (RHSET) program. Focus groups and teleconferences were conducted with health workers, organisations and key individuals in the Wide Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. As a result, an education package has been designed that will provide specific training in violence against women for rural and remote health professionals working in the field. Rural health community workers identified the need to enhance their intervention skills and understanding on the issue of violence against women. A distance education framework based on adult and guided learning principles has been developed to meet this need. Six areas were identified as important learning needs and included: (i) violence against women as a public health concern; (ii) The role of the community health worker; (iii) How the community health worker can empower women experiencing violence in their lives; (iv) Enhancing and developing supportive networks; (v) Building on community development action; and (vi) 'Where to next' for community health workers.