Toward an effective model for implementing distance education programs

Abstract

As a response to the challenges and constraints now facing postsecondary education, institutions are attempting to find new strategies that will more effectively address the need for change in the way educational services are provided. In early September 1995, three institutions in Alberta, Canada—the University of Alberta, Fairview College, and Kayas Cultural College—embarked on a new partnership in offering a selected number of introductory Faculty of Arts courses in remote northwestern regions of the province. The primary mode of delivery was synchronized, multi‐point videoconferencing (to as many as six sites), with all courses delivered from the University of Alberta campus. Slightly more than 70% of the student cohort for the first academic year were Aboriginal. This discussion highlights the implementation and evaluation of this partnership and proposes a model for the effective planning and implementation of distance education initiatives.     

浅谈有效实施合作学习的策略

本文结合多年教育教学实践,谈谈对有效实施合作学习策略的看法。     

Seven strategies for enabling faculty success in distance education

Many challenges associated with distance education and technology integration initiatives focus on faculty issues and concerns. This article analyzes these difficulties by identifying from the literature current trends affecting faculty, faculty motivators, and faculty challenges. Then, following this review and analysis, the article presents seven strategies for university administrators and faculty to consider as part of their own strategic plan to mitigate faculty concerns and ensure program success. The seven strategies discussed include the following: (1) enable colleges and departments to accept more responsibility for distance education activities; (2) provide faculty more information about distance education programs and activities; (3) encourage faculty to incorporate technology into their traditional classrooms; (4) provide strong incentives for faculty to participate in distance education; (5) improve training and instructional support for distance education faculty; (6) build a stronger distance education faculty community; and (7) encourage more distance education scholarship and research.     

Dimensions of effective interactive learning with telematics for distance education

Increasingly, telematics is being used for distance education in Australia. Two forms of telematics, audiographics and live interactive television, are described. Audiographics involves two telecommunications links, one which connects computers via modems and a second link which provides an audioconferencing medium through a normal telephone connection. Live interactive television involves the combination of a one-way television signal with a toll-free callback telephone enabling students to communicate directly with the teacher during program transmission. Research and evaluation studies indicate that the interactivity currently implemented via telematics is minimal and that it does not support higher-order cognition among students. In light of our investigations and contemporary cognitive learning theory, a number of dimensions of effective interactive learning with telematics are suggested: (a) collaboration, (b) generative learning, (c) contextual engagement, (d) personal autonomy, and (e) motivation. His research interests include instructional technologies and developing effective learning environments for open learning and distance education. His specialist areas include evaluating technology-rich learning environments, electronic user performance support systems and interactive learning systems.     

Faculty planning for distance teaching

Abstract

How faculty in higher education plan instruction is an area about which little is known. The purpose of this study was to describe instructional planning by faculty teaching adult learners via interactive telecommunications technology and to identify their principal concerns when designing distance instruction. Qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze data on planning by eleven full‐time faculty members teaching on an audio‐graphic distance network. Their distance instruction planning process was characterized by three features: term rather than day‐to‐day planning, a primary emphasis on content rather than process, and reliance on the syllabus as the focal point of planning.     

Student and tutor perceptions of effective tutoring in distance education

Questionnaire responses of 457 students and 602 tutors were used to investigate conceptions of a ‘good tutor.’ In each case, factor analysis identified scales that reflected key constructs; cluster analysis identified subgroups with different patterns of scale scores; and discriminant analysis determined the scales that contributed the most to differences among the clusters. Both sets of data yielded conceptions of tutoring that were described as task‐oriented and student‐oriented, respectively. The students’ data yielded an additional, career‐oriented conception. The tutors’ data yielded two additional conceptions that were described as knowledge‐oriented and impersonal, respectively. The distribution of the tutors’ conceptions (but not that of the students’ conceptions) varied across different faculties, suggesting that tutors from different disciplines have different beliefs about effective tutoring. The study suggests that both tutors and students would benefit from having a better appreciation of the importance of support in facilitating learning.     

论广播电视大学现代远程教育运行机制及其阻力控制策略

本文从运行机制的形成要素出发,阐述了"建立完善而有效的学习支持服务系统,为学生提供系统的、有整体功能的、相互联系的、有效的教学资源、学习交互环境和制度保障"是建立电大现代远程教育运行机制的功能要求;阐述了如何以"以学生和学习为主、以传授知识和培养能力并重的"教育思想作为行动准则调整学校体制,规范学校、教师、管理人员、学生等主体要素的行为.在对电大人才培养模式改革中的阻力进行分析的基础上,阐述了电大现代远程教育运行机制建立过程中的阻力控制策略.     

情感教育在大学生思想政治教育中的有效实现

在复杂的社会形势下,大学生的心理状况发生了新的变化,大学的思想政治教育工作也面临新的挑战。本文从阐释进行情感教育的必要性出发,了解情感教育的内容,找到进行情感教育的有效途径,进而促进大学生的思想政治教育。     

高职教育集团化发展实施对策

开办高等职业技术教育院校,以工学结合的人才培养模式作为高等职业教育人才培养的模式,从而带动专业的建设性,把教学的内容与现今企业所需人才标准相结合,培养适应现代化企业建设所需的技术专门人才和高素质的劳动者是现在高职院校教学开展的目标。     

加快现代远程教育资源库建设的有效途径

现代远程教育资源库的建设是面向 2 1世纪教学改革工程的重要组成部分。本文以软件、硬件和技术资源共享为中心 ,从宏观规划、区域联合对现有资源的高度开发、不同载体资源的结合及加强管理等方面 ,阐述了加强现代远程教育资源库建设的途径     

Integrated teacher education programme for open distance learning: a model for development and implementation

Teacher education in India, including that offered by the open distance learning (ODL) system to thousands every year, imparts mainly pedagogic knowledge, although the need for integrated teacher education programmes has been underscored. As the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), an ODL institution, will develop an integrated Bachelor of Education programme for secondary-level teachers, a model based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework has been proposed for developing and implementing it. The model takes cognisance of the systemic challenges to TPACK-based teacher education, but it does not envision radical changes in IGNOU’s teacher education framework for addressing these challenges. It includes propositions with theoretical underpinnings for redesigning the major components of the framework while retaining its basic structure. The model has been described in terms of its rationale, its structure and the way it envisages the progress of teacher trainees from a phase of learning with the help of self-learning material designed for imparting integrated theoretical knowledge to one whereby they apply such knowledge in simulated situations, and finally moving on to a phase of situated learning during internship.     

Relationships between motivational strategies and cognitive learning in distance education courses

This study examines the relationships between students’ academic levels, the use of motivational regulation strategies, and cognitive learning strategies. A total of 141 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online distance courses participated in the study. The findings show that students use different motivational regulation strategies and cognitive learning strategies depending on their academic levels. Additionally, hierarchical regression analyses using two dependent variables (i.e., surface level learning strategy and deep processing level learning strategy) indicate that a surface level learning strategy (i.e., rehearsal) and deep processing level strategies (i.e., elaboration, organization, and critical thinking) are predicted by different sets of motivational regulation strategies after controlling for academic level and age. The results provide distance educators and instructional designers with practical suggestions on how to support undergraduate and graduate students’ motivational needs and further promote their use of cognitive learning strategies in online distance education programs in higher education.     

小学教育专业实践教学理念与有效实施研究

经过新课程的不断改革,小学教师对于学生的培养,逐渐开始将实践教学作为重点工作,随着重视程度的不断增加,也推动了实践教学不断前进的步伐。而对小学教育专业进行实际教学时,将实际教学应用其中,意在加强学生实践能力、创新意识以及创新能力。可是在实际教学运用中发现,还存在许多不足,例如:形式单一、认识偏差等问题,基于此,本文对小学教育专业实践教学理念与有效实施进行具体研究。     

A model for the effective engagement of all stakeholders in engineering education and its pilot implementation

Methodologies for engineering learning and teaching (MELT) approach aims to enhance the attractiveness of education through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among young people, while promoting awareness of future careers in these areas. To this end, students’ expectations are considered within university programmes, aiming to an increased engagement in STEM careers. To accomplish these goals, a new and integrated approach (MELT) is presented, involving the main stakeholders in both scientific education and society. An education framework is presented, providing guidelines for an improved collaborative approach to STEM education in the future. Results from the pilot implementation of MELT are presented, from a small-scale education parliament prototype. From these initial stage and results, it is seen that there is a need for a proper alignment of expectations from all involved stakeholders, concerning the engineering education towards society’s demands.     

远程教育中成人自主学习能力培养策略实践研究

自主学习是一种学习者自我导向的学习方法,而自主学习是远程成人教育中最主要的途径.因而,要想提高成人自主学习的效率,自主学习能力的培养便成了重点.远程教育过程中,学生自主学习模式的建立,要在远程开放式的教育理论指导下,在网络自主学习平台的基础上,充分发挥学生的主体作用.建立学生自主学习模式的基本思路和提高学生自主学习能力的主要措施,从而实现成人远程教育整体水平的不断提高.     

提升远程开放教育教学质量品质的实践策略分析

持续高位运行的规模发展之后,着力进行开放教育内涵建设,深化教学改革,全面高效地提高教学质量,巴成为电大进一步发展开放教育、提升教育品质的总体指导思想。本文从进一步强化教学工作中心地位、深化教学改革、理顺教学运行机制、强化教学支持服务四个方面着手,从实践层面对电大在新起点上如何进一步提升远程开放教育教学品质进行了思考和架构。     

论大学生文化素质教育的实施策略

高校要通过加强大学生文化素质教育,提升大学生全面素质和社会适应力,使之成为适应社会发展的有用人才,已经成为高校人才培养的基本共识。就文化素质教育的理论探讨和实践历程进行相应的思考是十分重要的现实课题。基于此,本文在分析文化素质教育内涵及其在高校实施历程的分析基础上,对其具体实施进行了分析。     

Cultural challenges in Hong Kong to the implementation of effective general education

Hong Kong's higher education system is undergoing an enormous change. At great cost, higher education and the school systems that feed into it are moving from a three-year university system that favored early specialization within a discipline and very few conversations across disciplines to a four-year university system to be fully implemented with the beginning class of 2012. This move will provide a framework in which disciplinary study is grounded in broader knowledge that encourages self-directed learning, critical thinking, and an understanding of the role of individual in society. So what are the cultural challenges to attaining these far-reaching goals? This essay attempts to delineate some of them, make some comparisons to the US, and also present some suggestions for meeting the challenges.