Postsecondary Distance Education Research Articles

The Physical Learning Environment of Online Distance Learners in Higher Education - A Conceptual Model.

Online distance learning is offered not only in post-secondary distance education institutions but in traditional universities as well. With advances in mobile and wireless technologies, completing academic studies anywhere anytime should become feasible. Research in distance education and online learning has focused on computer-mediated communication, instructional design, learner characteristics, educational technology, and learning outcomes. However, little attention has been given to where exactly learners do their learning and studying and how the physical and social aspects of the physical environment within which the online learner is physically embedded (e.g., the home) supports and constrains learning activities. In this paper, the author proposes a conceptual model for understanding the role that the physical environment plays in online distance learning in higher education, drawing on theories and research in environmental psychology, online learning, telework and mobile work, and higher education. Several gaps in research are identified, and suggestions for future research are proposed.

Digging Up: A Five-Year Journey to Instructional-Design Stability in a Postsecondary Distance Education Unit

This report of practice describes a five-year process to establish and implement quality standards for a substantial portfolio of distancedelivered courses at the Centre for Continuing and Distance Education, University of Saskatchewan. The report describes an analysis of the issues and the solutions found that led to our current curriculum design standards and procedures, the implementation of learning technologies, and the identification of issues and solutions regarding copyright law. Lastly, the future prospects of these distance-delivered postsecondary courses are considered. Focusing on the issues and solutions for each category of challenges, this report describes the five-year journey of a small instructional-design team that faced roadblocks and barriers common to many postsecondary continuing and distance education units.

Post-secondary distance education in a contemporary colonial context: Experiences of students in a rural First Nation in Canada

<br /><p>Post-secondary distance education gives students and their families living in remote and rural regions the option to stay in their communities while they study instead of moving closer to the universities in cities. Post-secondary distance education is an option in many rural and remote First Nation (Indigenous) communities in Canada; however there are many challenges to successful adoption in these communities. There are also many opportunities for post-secondary institutions to expand their abilities and capacity in developing and delivering appropriate content supporting these unique, self-governing environments in Canada. We explore the experiences of students from a rural First Nation in Canada with post-secondary distance education, focusing on how different delivery methods offer both opportunities and challenges for community-based students. The study is situated in the context of contemporary colonialism in Canada.</p>

Reliability and validity of a Turkish version of the DELES

The primary aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a Turkish version of the Distance Education Learning Environment Survey (DELES) in post-secondary distance education. The second aim was to investigate empirically the conceptualisation of the distance education learning environment as a singular latent construct, within a second-order factorial structure that consists of six first-order factors. The DELES is a 34-item instrument for assessing social-psychological perceptions among distance education students. The tested hypotheses concerned key antecedents and consequences of the factorial structure of DELES in the Turkish context using confirmatory factor analyses. Principal component analysis of the Turkish data revealed six main factors of interest, which corresponded to the hypothesised constructs in the original DELES. The data suggested good reliability and validity for the Turkish DELES (DELES-TR) relative to the original version. Further, second-order analyses were conducted with two complementary samples to demonstrate the validity of six dimensions of the DELES-TR and their contributions to an overall factorial structure of social-psychological learning environment in distance education. Initial support for the second-order factorial validity of DELES-TR was found. Results indicate that a dimensional model of DELES-TR with the six first-order factors provided a superior fit to the data than first-order DELES-TR with six factors. Additionally, an investigation was conducted regarding associations between the DELES-TR’s psychosocial scales and a student satisfaction scale. This study is unique in its focus on the learning environment in distance education in the Turkish setting.

For-profit Models in Traditional Postsecondary Distance Education: The Possible Gains and Losses

For-profit Models in Traditional Postsecondary Distance Education: The Possible Gains and Losses

Development and Validation of an Instrument for Assessing Distance Education Learning Environments in Higher Education: The Distance Education Learning Environments Survey (DELES)

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new learning environments instrument designed to aid investigators and practitioners in measuring and researching the psychosocial learning environment in post-secondary distance education. Using a three-stage approach, the Distance Education Learning Environments Survey (DELES) was developed, field-tested with 680 distance education students, and then validated. The DELES has 34 items allocated to six scales: (1) Instructor Support; (2) Student Interaction and Collaboration; (3) Personal Relevance; (4) Authentic Learning; (5) Active Learning; and (6) Student Autonomy. An additional scale of Enjoyment was included in this study to explore associations between the psychosocial learning environment and student affective traits. Each learning environment item had a factor loading of at least 0.50 with its own scale, and less than 0.50 with all other scales. The alpha reliability coefficient for each scale ranged from 0.75 to 0.94. Simple correlations between Enjoyment and the DELES scales ranged from 0.12 to 0.31, with the scale of Personal Relevance having the strongest correlation with Enjoyment when all other scales were mutually controlled. The DELES, an online instrument that can be utilized by students at any location, eliminates data transfer errors and does not allow for non-responses, adding to the overall validity of the instrument. The development of DELES relied extensively on literature pertaining to high-quality distance education and expert content validation techniques. It treats distance learning as having a distinct social-psychological climate unlike those found in other post-secondary classroom environments.

Constructing Community in a Postsecondary Virtual Classroom

Interactional ethnography with a social constructionist perspective was used as an orienting theoretical framework to investigate how a community of learners was constructed in a postsecondary distance education class. The question guiding this research was: How do the interactions of the participants in an on-line classroom construct the social culture of a distance education classroom? Three analytical components of this larger study are expanded upon in this article: a) how the on-line conversational topic was changed to the on-task analysis of the weekly readings; b) how the use of an object became part of the class's repertoire; and c) how members compensated for the lack of face-to-face verbal and non-verbal conversational cues. Benefits of the study include providing insights into how the on-line communications resulted in student perception of being part of the classroom culture and providing practical examples of on-line application of student-centered pedagogical techniques.

Implications for improving access and outcomes for individuals with disabilities in postsecondary distance education

During the past decade, there has been tremendous growth in the number of online distance education courses offered by post‐secondary institutions. Does this growth imply better access to higher education for individuals with disabilities? This article examines individual and institutional case studies identified through a search of ERIC and other major databases. The findings are summarized in terms of student characteristics, technology trends, support and accommodation provided by postsecondary institutions, and the overall impact of distance education on people with disabilities.

Coordination and Competition in Postsecondary Distance Education

(1997). Coordination and Competition in Postsecondary Distance Education. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 68, No. 5, pp. 551-587.

Coordination and Competition in Postsecondary Distance Education: A Comparative Case Study of Statewide Policies

Coordination and Competition in Postsecondary Distance Education: A Comparative Case Study of Statewide Policies

An institutional support framework for increasing faculty participation in postsecondary distance education

Abstract The increasing importance of distance education compels postsecondary institutions to 1) reduce existing barriers to faculty participation in distance education, and 2) provide support services that will ensure student access to high‐quality instructional programs. This article presents an institutional support framework that can assist higher education institutions in meeting these needs by appropriately balancing the application of technologies and the development of human resources.

Post-Secondary Distance Education in Canada: Policies, Practices and Priorities

Post-Secondary Distance Education in Canada: Policies, Practices and Priorities