A synthesis of evaluations of distance education courses

Distance education courses are offered in a wide variety of formats. A range of media is available, and mechanisms for and levels of study and administrative support vary widely between courses. When new courses are established there is a wealth of experience to draw upon but little, if any, guidance on how to choose between the plethora of potential course formats. This article suggests that synthesising guidelines from evaluations of a selection of courses can help in drawing conclusions as to how courses are best formatted for given situations. As a case study, seven Hong Kong distance education courses with a variety of features were evaluated. Conclusions were synthesized—about the provision of tutorials, group activities, inter-student contact, telephone counselling and the use of video and television broadcasting—which could not have been reached from either evaluating one course alone or by examining existing literature.     

Factors affecting the development of distance education courses

This exploratory case study identifies factors and relationships among factors facilitating and impeding the development of distance education courses at Syracuse University, a large, private traditional university located in Central New York State. During September and October 1990 Syracuse University's Center for Instructional Development used an author/editor course development model (Smith, 1980) to create eight print‐based, undergraduate courses for United States Marines stationed in Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield.

Interviews with course developers and faculty authors produced six factors associated with the success of the course development process: course definition, faculty perception of student abilities, textbook selection, the extent of faculty/developer conflict, faculty flexibility, and faculty/developer working relationships. Course development success was indicated by timeliness, smoothness, and satisfaction with the course product.     

Making a difference online: Facilitating service-learning through distance education

Development in the understanding and education of responsible citizenship is an important priority for higher education institutions. Evidence of this importance is expressed in the mission statements of many colleges and universities throughout the United States. As increasing numbers of students take advantage of distance education, it is essential to consider both the ways students can engage in experientially based learning environments that promote civic engagement as well as the manner by which institutions can fulfill this aspect of their missions. This article explores service-learning pedagogy delivered in an online format, specifically a case study describing the way one institution, University of Illinois at Springfield, successfully uses the Internet to provide such instruction.     

关于远程教育网络课程建设的几点思考

透视2007年国家精品课程的评选标准,网络课程的开发与建设是当前远程教育发展的重要任务。根据参评课程的基本现状,网络课程的内涵问题必须重新界定,规范化的课程建设标准是建设精品课程的基本依据,梳理与整合已有课程存在的基本问题是反思与建设精品课程的最佳策略,创新网络课程的建设思路是课程精品化的重要举措。     

Gender issues in teaching information technology courses by distance education

This paper looks at reasons why women are still under‐represented in tertiary level technological education after 20 years of discussion, and argues that it is important for society to look at ways of not only improving educational access to women but also providing equal benefit once enrolled. Distance education is often seen as a solution to access problems but the particular needs of women in distance education must be considered. Financial, attitudinal and skills barriers may need to be overcome if there is a pre‐enrolment requirement of quality access to computing equipment. Ways of improving both participation and persistence of women in information technology courses are discussed.     

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.     

高校公共课实施远程教学的理论与实践

随着高等教育改革的不断深入,全日制高等学校规模日益壮大,传统课堂教学模式在许多课程教学中已显得力不从心,而远程教育由于不受时间、空间和距离的限制,加上强调学习的自主性、灵活性,正日益受到全日制学校的高度重视,显示出其强劲的发展势头。作者结合本校实践,对高校公共课实施远程教学的理论与实践进行了分析,并讨论了实施远程教学过程中的一些问题和解决办法,供大家参考。     

远程教育国际课程开放和资源共享的初步研究

计算机网络技术在远程教育中扮演着重要的角色。本文旨在介绍一个促进国际课程开放和资源共享的项目。在这个项目研究中,我们将创建一个基于虚拟现实环境的动态学习平台,该学习平台方便灵活、易于使用。我们的研究目的是为了促进和优化资源共享的效率,研究的焦点是如何实现资源共享的广泛性和分布性。该项目的研究设计可以提高学生的自我学习能力,用户可以使用该平台实现国际课程开放和资源共享。     

Building an understanding of heat transfer concepts in undergraduate chemical engineering courses

Understanding the distinctions among heat, energy and temperature can be difficult for students at all levels of instruction, including those in engineering. Misconceptions about heat transfer have been found to persist, even after students successfully complete relevant coursework. New instructional methods are needed to address these misconceptions. This pilot study examined whether researcher-developed and inquiry-based activities could increase conceptual understanding of heat transfer and alter common misconceptions. Twenty-two undergraduate chemical engineering students were assessed before and after instruction with inquiry-based activities using a ten-item concept inventory. Concept inventory questions were developed to assess students＇ performance on questions closely related to the inquiry-based activities and questions applying concepts in new contexts. Participants significantly improved their overall scores from pre-test to post-test. An examination of performance on individual items revealed significant improvement on half of those questions closely related to the instructional activities and half of those applying concepts in new but related contexts. Results are examined in light of the assessment and inquiry activities that were used, as well as the difficulty of the concepts. Educational implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

The use of a model to derive interventions which might reduce drop-out from distance education courses

The starting point for this paper is a model of student progress and drop-out from distance education courses. The model includes components of background characteristics, motivation, academic environment, and the family, work and social environment. The model allows for the interaction of variables and the influence of one component of the model on another. The author then derives from the model a series of recommendations as to the ways in which distance education courses might be formatted so as to reduce student drop-out. Ways of enhancing intrinsic motivation are discussed. A case is put for focussing learning skills initiatives towards reorientating student conceptions of knowledge. Strategies for improving collective affiliation are described, and the employment of local support staff is advocated.     

Facilitating student learning in distance education: a case study on the development and implementation of a multifaceted feedback system

This paper reports on a case study conducted in an American university investigating the role of feedback within a distance education environment. Based on data gathered from online and hybrid undergraduate students in a teacher education program and supported by existing research, we describe how we support online learners by implementing a feedback system that incorporates multi-draft formative assessments and various feedback strategies. We describe these strategies (i.e. explicit feedback directions and feedback surveys) as well as data from formative assessments to demonstrate the impact of clear expectations and feedback on student performance in distance education. We present recommendations for online feedback and propose a feedback model for further study.     

Facilitating evidence-informed practice

This article draws on the notion of communal constructivism to explore its potential to frame and facilitate the development of evidence-informed practice. The explicit aspiration to nurture a research-informed workforce is prominent in discourse across policy makers, educational researchers and teacher professional groups in England; however, research evidence indicating how and why teachers might actually use research to inform their practice is limited. Furthermore, the vision for research engagement of itself is not necessarily shared between researchers and practitioners. This study examines the relationships between research and practice when academics and professionals work together. Drawing on data from the co-construction of an online research-informed guide for the teaching of English as an Additional Language (EAL), analysis highlights the complexities inherent in translating research into practice for different stakeholders. Discussion argues for the recognition of communal constructivism as a pedagogy of learning that can build understanding between researchers and practitioners for how practice might become research-informed.     

Conceptions of,and approaches to,teaching online: a study of lecturers teaching postgraduate distance courses

This paper presents the outcomes of a study into online teaching. It builds upon previous research and conceptual frameworks produced by Kember and Kwan (Instr Sci 28(5):469–490, 2000) and Roberts (Instr Sci 31(1–2):127–150, 2003). It advances research on conceptions of, and approaches to, teaching by examining teaching in a novel context: distance-taught courses at the postgraduate level. Lecturers were interviewed from a Faculty of Health Sciences in a research-intensive Australian University. Relationships between conceptions and approaches found in previous research were confirmed in this study. However, it was found that the conceptions of online teaching proposed by Roberts (Instr Sci 31(1–2):127–150, 2003) did not adequately distinguish between the conceptions held by the lecturers interviewed in this study. Three modified conceptions of online teaching are proposed: ‘for individual access to learning materials and information; and for individual assessment’; ‘for learning related communication (asynchronous and/or synchronous)’; and ‘as a medium for networked learning’. Some of the dimensions developed by Roberts to describe approaches to online teaching were not applicable in this study setting and needed further modification. Two broad approaches emerged: ‘informative/individual learning focused’ and ‘communicative/networked learning focused’. Contextual influences on teaching reported by Kember and Kwan (Instr Sci 28(5):469–490, 2000)—that is, institutional influence, nature of students and subject and curriculum—were revealed in this study to have different levels of influence over approaches to online teaching: the first two being the more relevant ones.     

Bridging courses by distance education for overseas‐trained professionals migrating to Australia: Practical and viability issues

This article discusses the issues concerned with using distance education to help provide bridging courses for overseas‐trained professionals migrating to Australia. Often such courses are specialised, have small enrolments and are required on demand by the recently arrived migrant. Therefore, there are significant practical and viability problems to be expected for the providers of such courses. The article draws on work from a 1997 study of the potential and viability of distance education bridging courses for overseas‐trained professionals migrating to Australia. The study was commissioned and funded by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition, of the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, under its Evaluations and Investigations Program. A discussion is provided of the particular problems encountered in the provision of on‐campus courses for students whose locations, schedules and circumstances are quite diverse. However, whilst distance education provision might seem a reasonable solution to such problems, for some professions there are particular practical matters concerning such provision. A key issue addressed is conceptualising the viability of developing and providing such courses through distance education, and how this may help distance educators view the viability of other small ‘boutique’ courses in distance education.     

Facilitating online discussions effectively

This article presents a synthesis of the theoretical and research literature on facilitating asynchronous online discussions effectively. Online courses need to be designed so that they provide motivation for students to engage in productive discussions and clearly describe what is expected, perhaps in the form of a discussion rubric. Additionally, instructors need to provide discussion forums for socio-emotional discussions that have the goal of nurturing a strong sense of community within the course as well as group discussion forums for content-and task-oriented discussions that center on authentic topics. In order to facilitate discussions effectively, instructors should generate a social presence in the virtual classroom, avoid becoming the center of all discussions by emphasizing student–student interactions, and attend to issues of social equity arising from use of different communication patterns by culturally diverse students [e.g., Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., and Archer, W. (2001). Critical thinking, cognitive presence, and computer conferencing in distance education. The American Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 7–23; Rovai, A. P. (2003). Strategies for grading online discussions: Effects on discussions and classroom community in Internet-based university courses. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 15(1), 89–107].