The Impact of Satellite Telecommunications on the Infrastructure of a Provincial University System

Abstract

Modern communication technology is being applied increasingly by post‐secondary systems throughout the world to deliver a variety of learning experiences to people residing at a distance from the main campuses of institutions of higher education. The implications of this phenomenon for the future development of post‐secondary education have yet to be assessed. At present, distance education activities at many institutions are perceived by scholars, as well as administrators, to be of lesser importance and appendages of the primary functions of the academic community. Such a myopic vision of the future is inconsistent with the incremental changes in organizational structures, delivery systems and administrative procedures occurring in many post‐secondary systems to accommodate a more personalized form of higher education. This article examines the impact which experiments with satellite communication have had on the organizational structures of a Canadian provincial university system. The findings derived by this exploratory analysis suggest that co‐operation, collaboration and communication are going to be essential elements of resource management, programme planning and knowledge delivery in post‐secondary systems by the 21st century.     

Cartesian visions

Few original portraits exist of René Descartes, yet his theories of vision were central to Enlightenment thought. French philosophers combined his emphasis on sight with the English approach of insisting that ideas are not innate, but must be built up from experience. In particular, Denis Diderot criticised Descartes's views by describing how Nicholas Saunderson--a blind physics professor at Cambridge--relied on touch. Diderot also made Saunderson the mouthpiece for some heretical arguments against the existence of God.     

Toward a Current,Comprehensive, Integrative,and Flexible Model of Motivation for Instructional Design

Workplace motivation historically has been an HR function, with ID as a training function. This division produces a split between motivation and training, leaving them isolated from one another. Intervention design needs to include motivation throughout its phases, to maximize motivating opportunities for performance improvement. The current models included in instructional design texts and resources are important, but tend to lack some characteristics that would make them more useful and productive for designers. The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical and conceptual framework for the devel‐opment of a new model of motivation for intervention design that is current, comprehensive, integrative, and flex‐ible. To that end, we (1) review the key points of the call for such a model; (2) present a framework for such a model; (3) offer a conceptual prototype for a model to meet designer's needs and include perspectives from experts in instructional design and performance technology, including how it fills out an integrative theoretical base of motivation for the field; and (4) present future development implications for the field.