Ethical considerations in distance education

Abstract

Most treatments of the concept of interaction in distance education have been based on Moore's (1989) discussion of three types of interaction: learner‐content, learner‐instructor, and learner‐learner. However, these previous discussions have failed to consider the interaction that occurs between the learner and the technologies used to deliver instruction. This article presents the concept of learner‐interface interaction and recommends instructional design strategies that will facilitate students' acquisition of the skills needed to participate effectively in the electronic classroom.     

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.     

Distance education and distance learning: some psychological considerations

Face‐to‐face education and distance education, viewed as differing sets of organisational provisions for the fostering of learning, emphasize different kinds of learning processes, and depend upon somewhat different psychological properties in learners. Nonetheless, all practical learning settings, whether they are labelled ‘school’, ‘adult education’, ‘distance education’, or something else, involve a mixture of face‐to‐face learning and distance learning. The psychological difference between the two kinds of setting is thus note purely qualitative in nature, but is also quantitative: for instance, certain learner characteristics which are useful in face‐to‐face learning (discussed in detail in the body of the present paper) are indispensible for distance learning, while certain processes which are at the heart of distance learning (also dis‐cusssed in detail later) are often given little emphasis in face‐to‐face settings, although they are in principle possible and even desirable there. The question thus arises of whether it would not be desirable to give more emphasis in face‐to‐face settings to psychologically desirable aspects of distance learning.     

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。     

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。     

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。     

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.     

论远程教育中的心理距离因素

本文在回顾、分析远程教育历史的基础上,提出了远程教育过程中的心理距离的概念和影响,并将之作为一个独立于时空距离的新的维度引入远程教育成效模型.讨论了心理距离因素对远程教育优势发挥的实际制约,提出强化远程教育过程中的师生和学习伙伴关系的结构设计与组织,以期缩短心理距离,优化远程学习氛围,提高远程教育成功率和效率.提出了缩短心理距离的若干原则与可行措施.     

Learner-content interaction in distance education: The weakest link in interaction research

Interaction is a recurrent theme in the literature on distance education. Much of the research along these lines is dedicated to reciprocal interpersonal interaction, that is, learner–learner and learner–instructor interaction. But there is far less research interest in learner–content interaction despite its fundamental and critical role in ensuring the effectiveness of the distance learning experience and education more generally. This article reflects on the interrelationship and interplay between learner–content, learner–instructor and learner–learner interactions by drawing on the three-types-of-interaction framework, equivalency theorem and other interaction research literature. It concludes by calling for more effort to be made to understand how distance learners study course materials or content, arguing that distance learning course materials may not be able to cater for distance learners and achieve their intended learning outcomes unless their design and production are informed by empirical research on learner–content interaction.     

远程教育中的联合办学

远程教育已经步入网络教育时代,经济利益和教育商品化的趋势使越来越多的普通大学和远程教育大学投入了远程教育的激烈竞争中来,既发挥不了双方的优势,又造成了教育资源的浪费。因此,双方应该在分析各自优势的情况下,走联合办学的路子。教育主管部门应该多作工作,使激烈的竞争成为有序的竞争,而不是无序的竞争,从而促进远程教育的健康发展。     

Improving student learning in distance education: Theory,research and practice

The aim of this paper is to examine how project-based learning in distance education can be seen to make a distinctive contribution to “improving student learning”. How has this approach to course design and assessment been put into practice in an Open University (OU) course and what assumptions about teaching and learning are involved in this course development process. The paper also looks briefly at how this project component has been evaluated by describing students’ and tutors’ experiences of learning and teaching in the form of “action research” so to reflect critically on practice and so initiate change.