Evaluation research in distance education

Although research supports the use of telecommunications in distance education, the more important question 'how best to use telecommunications in a given situation' has largely eluded researchers. This is due to the failure to link questions generated by the problems of practice with the theoretical constructs contributing to the understanding of the phenomena of distance education. The debate has occurred on two levels, the first relating to research design issues and the second to the conceptualisation of researchable questions. The authors address both levels from the vantage point of third generation telecommunications technologies. They offer a model for linking research and evaluation in distance education.     

远程自主学习指导研究

本文从提高远程学习者自主学习能力的角度入手,对远程自主学习指导活动的环节及支持条件进行了研究。文章首先确定了考察远程自主学习状况的六项指标,据此提出了远程自主学习指导活动的七个环节,即:独立学习状态下的学习动机激发环节、学习计划与进度指导环节、学习方法指导环节、学习资源利用指导环节、学习调控与评价指导环节、学习交互状态下的个别化交互指导环节与社会化交互指导环节。最后文章对指导活动支持条件的内容及二者的关系进行了阐述。     

Analytic considerations in distance education research

Abstract

All articles submitted to The American Journal of Distance Education are subjected to a multi‐stage review process. One of the stages of review is an evaluation of methodology, including the appropriateness of any analytic procedures that are used. For this article, a number of empirical research reports submitted over the past several years were reviewed to identify common analytic problems and errors often overlooked by distance education researchers.     

Integration and special education research in Norway

During the past two decades Norwegian research in special education has slowly been established as a field of its own. In this chapter special education research in Norway is examined in the context of special education policy for compulsory school age. Three different domains of special education research are discussed: its domain, its epistemology, and the development of institutions of special education research. Not unexpectedly, the connection between formulation of educational policy and the realization of that policy is a big problem.     

知识管理在现代远程教育中的应用研究

本文在讨论远程教育领域知识管理的基本理论后,提出了运用学习对象元数据来表征远程网络教育领域的知识和学习对象,在此基础上讨论了四种现代远程教育中知识管理的技术与工具。     

现代远程教育管理模式研究

随着社会科技的不断进步与发展,培养全面、综合素质的人才在现代素质教育中显得尤为重要。随着网络技术的快速发展,远程教育成为一种新兴的教学模式,为学生提供良好的学习环境,达到资源的最优化。但是在现代远程教育管理中仍出现了一些问题,本文从现代远程教育的特征出发,分析了现代远程教育管理的问题,对这些问题提出了相应的措施。     

Recent changes in the governance of higher education institutions in Norway

Great changes have recently taken place in the governance of universities and other higher education institutions in Norway. From 1996, all institutions are regulated by a common act, more emphasis is put on stronger academic and administrative leadership of institutions, and a clearer division of responsibility between academic and administrative leaders has been introduced.     

Recent educational reforms in Norway and their effect on adult education in that country

This paper examines the relationship between education, learning and civic participation arising from 120 biographical interviews conducted with respondents in three areas of England. Through analysis of individual biographies, it is argued that the relationship between education, learning and the generation of ‘bonding’ social capital is largely unrealistic. Rather, there emerge three loose typologies of relationship between education and civic participation: atomistic, networking and altruistic. These relationships are shaped by individual biography, type of learning and structural considerations. Class, gender and ethnicity particularly influence relationships between education and participation but not in a rigidly deterministic fashion, and may additionally be generators of creative tension. It is concluded that although policy makers would be naïve to expect investment in education and learning to automatically generate virtuous cycles of social capital, the role of education in generating benefits in what can be called the ‘ecology’ of community is both unexpected and illuminating.     

Bilingual-bicultural education in Mexico: Recent research

Public bilingual education for non-Spanish-speaking Indian children has been in existence in Mexico for some 33 years, longer than in the United States. Since a review of research on bilingual education in Mexico, published in 1978, both the quantity and quality of the studies has increased notably. Basic studies have prevailed, especially those related to the myriad Indian languages of the country. Action research, incidental to the preparation of curriculum materials, has also been more fruitful than in the past. The few objective evaluations conducted during the period under consideration, all government sponsored, have been notable for the publication of a wide range of results, including those critical of official programs. Equally notable has been the alacrity with which the results have been applied to planning and programs, if not yet at the school house level.     

Recent commissioned reports on tertiary distance education in Australia: context and critique

Within one year there appeared nine major reports or evaluation studies on Australian distance education — all commissioned by the Australian federal government's former statutory authority advising on tertiary education. The political context in which these studies were initiated is considered first. Then each of the commissioned evaluation studies is examined in turn and finally there is an overall assessment of the likely impact of the reports.     

Current research in developing countries: Teacher credentialling and distance education

Current research is reviewed on two aspects of educational efficiency in ‘developing’ countries: the effect of teacher credentials on student achievement and the cost-effectiveness of distance education. Major research findings on each topic are reviewed, followed by selected abstracts of current research publications and a brief annotated reference list. Complex debate over teacher credentials now concurs that investment in teacher credentialing is frequently productive but that the efficiency of particular investment strategies is often unknown. The potential cost-savings in distance teacher education are often not realized because of the small scale programs.     

中英现代远程高等教育外部质量保证体系的比较研究

现代远程高等教育质量是现代远程高等教育的“生命线”。现代远程高等教育质量保证体系是维护“生命线”的各项措施的有机体系。本文首先研究了英国现代远程高等教育的外部质量保证体系,接着研究了我国现代远程高等教育的外部保证体系,并对二者进行了比较,在此基础上提出了我国现代远程高等教育外部质量保证体系的新框架。