The challenge of a distance learning professional doctorate in education

This article summarises research into the effectiveness of a distance learning doctorate in education (EdD). Drawing on an emerging literature which attempts to conceptualise professional doctorates as distinctive from the PhD, we developed a case‐study approach to investigate the EdD student experience. Four themes emerge which are developed into a model of professional outcomes: professionalisation; professional change; bridging the academic/professional divide; and professional self‐esteem. We argue none of these outcomes would have been achieved so effectively for these distance students without a highly structured but flexible support system.     

Transactional distance and interactive television in the distance education of health professionals

Abstract

Distance education, in which learners are remote from the primary educational institution and the teacher, is increasingly delivered via interactive television technology. Moore (1980) described transactional distance between students and faculty in distance education as characterized by dialogue and structure. He hypothesized that high structure and low dialogue yield “remote” transactional distance and low structure and high dialogue yield “close” transactional distance. The variables in the current study were operationally defined following Moore (1973, 665): “A learner's ‘distance’ from his teacher [transactional distance] … is defined as a function of individualization [structure] and dialogue.” Student volunteers (n = 221) in thirteen public health and nursing graduate courses at the University of Hawaii at Manoa responded to an investigator‐developed questionnaire regarding elements of dialogue, structure, and transactional distance in their courses. Principal components and internal consistency reliability analyses verified the presence of three factors: structure, dialogue, and transactional distance. Dialogue was greater in the distance‐format courses than in the traditional‐format courses. Distance‐format courses did not differ from traditional courses on amount of structure or transactional distance.     

Teacher education programmes delivered at a distance: An examination of distance student perceptions

Recent technological developments have greatly influenced the ways American universities deliver educational course offerings to students at a distance. The perception of pre-service teachers in distance education programmes is germane to the planning and delivery of distance education courses in teacher education departments in the future. The results of this American study revealed a differing perception between male and female students in the area of course structure, student/teacher interaction, overall course satisfaction and peer interaction. As a result of this study, recommendations are provided for teacher preparation programmes to improve distance education course offerings for prospective teachers in the USA and implications for educators involved in teacher preparation internationally.     

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.     

The Remote Area Teacher Program (RATEP): Cultural contextualisation of distance education through interactive

The Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP) is a successful and innovative distance education programme. Curriculum design demands the meaningful integration of traditional distance education materials and strategies with other electronic technology and interactive multimedi a computer courseware. RATEP is more than ‘two‐way schooling’ for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander distance education students studying in their home communities. Centred within Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, the interactive multimedia computer courseware is informed by the intersecting set of the various cultural contexts: academic culture embedded in Western culture; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and that of the computer. Illustrative examples from generalist and mathematics content and curriculum subjects demonstrate the effectiveness of culturally contextualising instructional computer‐student interface design in order to promote learning through interactive.     

从对话理论看远程教育师生交互原则

师生交互质量是影响远程教育质量的关键因素,长期以来,人们都把目光放在了交互技术的实现上,而忽视了人的决定因素。本文从巴赫金的对话理论出发,探寻远程教育中师生的对话原则,希望提高远程教师对于对话的重视,并且不断地将师生交互引向深入。     

远程开放教育环境下教与学互动关系的构建

现代开放教育理论对传统的“传递-接受”武师生关系提出了挑战,强调师生之间教与学的互动。作者结合近年来在开放教育教学工作中的实践,以课程教学为例,提出了构建师生互动关系的思路,并介绍了一些深受学员好评又初见成效的构建良好师生互动关系的具体操作方法。     

The documentation of distance education: a personal view

Following a brief account of the work of the Open University International Documentation Centre on Distance Learning, different forms of documentation in distance education: books, materials produced in connection with distance teaching programmes, journals and journal articles, and report literature, are identified and described. The central focus of the article is a critique of the treatment of the literature of distance education by two ERIC international bibliographical services. Proposals are made to survey existing bibliographical provision worldwide.     

远程教育的均等理论——来自美国的远程教育理论

本文分析了远程教育均等理论产生的背景和主要思想,并对构成均等理论的关键要素进行了详细的介绍。均等理论在界定了均等、学习经验、有效应用、学生和学习成果等五个关键要素的基础上,提出了远程学习者在学习中获得的学习经验与常规学习学生在学习中获得的经验越相等,则他们所取得的学习成果也越接近。这一理论对于我国现正进行的基于现代信息技术的远程教育理论研究和实践探索具有一定的启发意义。     

大学图书馆在现代远程教育中的远程支持服务

图书馆远程支持服务是现代远程教育的重要组成部分,资源的数字化和服务的网络化是图书馆远程支持服务的关键。大学图书馆应肩负起开发网络资源的职能,以数字图书馆为核心构建现代远程教育文献信息资源保障体系,成为开放型的“学习服务中心”和“文献信息中心”,为现代远程教育提供便捷、高效的远程支持服务。     

Quality assurance at a distance: international accreditation in Taiwan higher education

In response to the global competitiveness in higher education, the government, in recent years, has encouraged Taiwan colleges and universities to seek international accreditation, which raises several questions, such as jurisdiction over national accreditation, a single set of standards for local and global quality assurance, demand for the mutual recognition of review outcomes, etc. With the looming pressures for change that international accreditation will likely pose on a Taiwan national framework of quality assurance, multiple impacts on institutions and national accrediting agencies in Taiwan are now beginning to be increasingly felt. Hence, this paper examines current academic international accreditation programs and institutions, recognizes Taiwan’s accrediting organizations, and analyzes the challenges that institutions and national accrediting agencies are facing.     

创新教育对化学教师的挑战和要求

创新教育是当今时代所有教育工作者的共同话题。面临着怎样处理创新的多样性和考试的统一性、创新的开放性和原有的师生教育关系等一系列的矛盾和挑战。需要积极投身教改,努力化学教学创新。构建新颖的化学教学策略(“两阶段”式)、教学模式(“三台阶渐进教学模式”)与方法并付诸实践,需要站在为祖国的未来培养人才的高度正确处理好几个关系。     

Some problems of programme initiation at a distance education university

This article discusses some generic problems faced by those who would initiate a new programme or curriculum in a distance education university. The generic problems are highlighted by way of a specific programme initiative in psychology. Five major problems are cited: the problems of context, the programme context, the state of the discipline, institutional inertia and shared meanings.     

Student perspectives on videoconferencing in teacher education at a distance

This article reports the findings of a small‐scale study exploring student views of the videoconference as a teaching and learning tool in teacher education. The context of this study is a distance education course, run primarily through videoconferencing, for prospective primary school teachers. The use of videoconferencing in this area has not yet been the subject of significant research and so the study aims to make a contribution to the field.

The study is part of an ongoing action research project, aimed at improving the quality of the course in question. Taking account of literature on the videoconference format in distance education, the project used a questionnaire to gather student views of the perceived effectiveness and value of videoconferencing, with a particular emphasis on issues relating to teaching approaches and the active engagement of the learner. The article highlights some key findings regarding the efficacy of the format from a student perspective and raises some issues for future pedagogical practice.     

The contribution of the diaspora to the reconstruction of education in South Sudan: the challenge of being involved from a distance

Conflicts all over the world result in people living in diaspora, usually maintaining strong ties with their countries of origin. As many of them are well educated and dedicated to their country, expectations of the role they can play in the development of their home country are high. This article reflects on the contribution of the South Sudanese diaspora to the reconstruction of the education system, which was badly affected by over 40 years of civil war. Theories of capacity development, human capabilities and transnationalism are used to build a framework to analyse micro-development projects in the education sector initiated by the South Sudanese diaspora. Case studies and in-depth interviews led to the identification of opportunities and challenges as experienced in these projects. The conclusion points to the need to rethink partnerships in the reconstruction of the education sector in South Sudan.     

略论现代远程教育文化的内涵

现代远程教育文化是现代远程教育研究的重要课题之一.开展现代远程教育文化研究,既是远程教育实践发展的需要,也是远程教育学科建设的需要,更是我国建设学习型社会的需要.在对文化研究理论的简单归纳基础上,本文就其主要内容展开了讨论,包括物质文化、精神文化、教学文化和制度文化四个维度的十个方面.并指出了现代远程教育文化研究的价值和意义有利于培养积极向上的学习方式和生活方式,有利于营造健康和谐的远程教育文化生态,有利于形成具有中国特色的现代远程教育文化.