Going the Distance with Distance Education

Patricia A. McNames
Assistant Professor
Coordinator of the School Administration Supervision and Certification Program
Indiana University Southeast
4201 Grant Line Road
Hillside Hall 0015
New Albany, IN 47150
812-941-2301
pmcnames@iusmail.ius.indiana.edu

Introduction

The rapidly evolving paradigm of interactive distance education is changing the learning environment on and off campuses nationwide. Educators are suddenly surrounded not only by the opportunities of distance education, but also by its demands. Thus, when university faculty begin using these boundary-spanning technologies to enhance the learning process, it does dramatically require faculty to change what they do.

The purpose of this paper is to serve as a resource for university faculty who may be considering incorporating distance education approaches into their courses. In cyberspace, time and place are fourth-dimensional. The four dimensions discussed in this paper are 1) defining the distance education system, 2) designing the interactive course, 3) developing a virtual learning community, and 4) dealing with technical difficulties.

A Distant Drummer

A variety of electronic approaches comprise distance education today. Satellite television, interactive television, and web-based courses are the delivery methods most commonly used, but others are also available. Defining the distance education system that can enhance the learning process of your students is the first phase in using distance education. Sometimes combining technologies may create the integrated system that can offer the "best instructional practice" in your virtual classroom.

Following is a list of steps to guide the development of your distance education system:

Evaluate the needs of the learners.

Understanding the needs of the learners is the first step in planning the technology. Student course expectations should be considered, along with student experience in using different technologies. Through a pre-assessment, identify what the learners already know, what they expect to gain from the course, and any concerns they may have. Concerns of adult learners usually center on issues such as the amount of work involved, the time required, costs, and the quality of the course. Also, take into consideration that adult learners often require practical and immediate applications of learning.

At Indiana University Southeast during the summer of 1997, three groups of learners participated in two distance education courses. The first group was comprised of university students who lived relatively close to our regionally located campus. These thirty students attended class on-site in the distance learning lab at IUS. The other two groups (approximately twenty students, ten at each of two remote sites) were university students who lived two or three hours away from campus.

All of the learners were working professionals (teachers) who needed to retain teaching certifications or who were in the process of earning advanced degrees. Approximately half of the students were familiar with the use of computers, e-mail, and the Internet. None of the students were familiar with any distance education technology, but they expressed a willingness to learn. Finally, all of the learners wanted to pursue their education, but equally important to them was spending quality time with their families.

Establish goals and objectives for the course based on the needs of the learners.

Utilizing the learner pre-assessment data, the instructor can determine the goals and objectives for the course. Faculty considering the use of distance education technologies must ask the question "Can the goals and the objectives of the course be met via distance learning?" If the answer is yes, the process of selecting the delivery method(s) should begin.

Select the delivery method or methods.

Distance education promotes a multitude of electronic interactions. Occurring at many levels, these interactions can range from asynchronous to synchronous and between professors and students, students to students, and students with experts, books, journals, and the Internet, to name a few possibilities. The faculty member should research the technical options available, using questions like these:

The delivery system selected for the two distance education classes offered during the 1997summer session through Indiana University Southeast utilized our distance learning laboratory, which is connected to the Indiana University interactive television network known as Virtual Indiana Classroom, or VIC. The VIC room contains large screen televisions, which project images of the professor and the on-site class to remote locations. A camera can zoom to focus on the professor and or on a student who is speaking. A document camera is used to project a page of notes or pictures to students at the remote locations.

The Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS) was selected as the prime delivery method during the 1997 summer session courses. The decision to use this digital satellite-based system was made because this technology matched the technical equipment available at IUS and at the remote sites located close to where the distant students lived.

The use of this one-way technology meant that I (the professor) and the on-site students could not see or hear the students at the remote sites. Students at the remote sites could see and hear the on-site classroom, but in order to communicate with the on-site class, the remote students had to utilize the telephone to call the IUS classroom. Having only two remote sites did not result in too many busy signal periods or telephone line overloads. However, adding additional remote sites might result in the instructor having to set specific times during the class for taking calls from each of the remote sites.

Since the IHETS delivery system only allowed for interactions via the telephone during class sessions, supplemental communication methods were added. E-mail and faxes became additional ways to share information.

Creative approaches that were used to circumvent the limitations of one-way video two-way audio technology will be reviewed in the section on developing a virtual learning community.

High Tech Classrooms

Students and university faculty can reap many benefits from distance education. Not only can time and space be managed, but the quality of the learning can also be enhanced. Designing a distance education course requires instructors to focus on three types of interactions: instructor-to-student, student-to-student, and student-to-resources.

First, the instructor must become knowledgeable about the students and their needs. The common attributes of the on-site learners should be compared with those of the distant learners. If possible, the instructor should conduct pre-class sessions on campus and at the remote sites. The selected technology delivery systems can be explained and students should be encouraged (maybe even required) to participate actively in the use of the technology. Room arrangements and resources should be assessed to determine whether any modifications or additions need to occur.

The formal designing of the distance education course should occur next. Courses should be student-centered and should enable students to achieve the desired goals and objectives. Interactive instructional activities should be developed that are customized to the students and the technology system and promote collaboration among the students at all sites. Interactive activities can include panel discussions, group projects, guest speakers/experts, presentations, or simulations.

The delivery method or methods for the course is the factor that will most dramatically change what faculty members do. Working with television monitors and document cameras requires a process of "chunking" to occur. Twenty-minute segments of class time should be linked to chunks of material and then presented sequentially. Overheads for the document camera should follow this topical or theme approach as well. During class time, television cameras should be switched routinely from the instructor and students to the document camera. Providing students with copies of the "chunked" outlines prior to class increases student preparation. Outlines can be sent via e-mail or fax as needed.

To encourage class participation from all students, the remote sites were asked to call in if they had comments or questions during these "chunked" segments of class. The "open line" did create many interruptions. An instructor must be prepared to deal with the telephone ringing during the middle of a presentation, group project or a quest speaker. Being sensitive to the needs of all of the students (either on-site or at the remote sites) is extremely important!

Evaluation and feedback is a vital part of any university course. Assessment of a distance education course should address three basic issues:

Feedback should be gathered before, during, and after the course. Continuous assessment of activities and materials can be accomplished during each class session through anonymous class comments. On-site students can provide written remarks placed in the old-fashioned suggestion box. Remote sites can fax or e-mail group concerns or needs.

The actual assessment of the student learning needs to be fair and valid. To ensure that students receive proper credit for their own work, several protective measures can be taken. Testing can be done online utilizing secured passwords. Another successful way to monitor exams is to arrange to have a site coordinator present who can proctor the test and the materials at each site.

Formal summative assessment should occur at the end of the course. Again, this should be anonymous. It should address all areas of the course from the teaching to the technology. Individual or group responses can be sent electronically or by U. S. mail. For these two distance education classes, we utilized standard multi-option questionnaires and open-ended surveys specifically designed to assess these unique classes.

Efficient student support services provide the foundation for excellent course development. Services that may need to be offered electronically to distance education students are admissions, registration, academic advising, library and Internet access, and e-mail accounts. The campus bookstore will need to coordinate timely course material distribution with the remote sites (possibly bulk mailings, etc.) Perfecting the services that students receive and/or need can be accomplished by collecting on-going feedback from all participants, from students to the bookstore staff.

Let the Satellites Guide You

Connecting individuals and enabling them to communicate is critical in distance education. One of the most difficult challenges that an instructor faces is creating a sense of community among students at all of the sites. Developing a virtual learning community begins and ends by focusing on people.

During the pre-class sessions, photographs and brief introductory chronicles of each participant should be gathered. If possible these "people packets" should be distributed prior to the first class. As introductions are made during that first class, the instructor can place a photograph of the individual on the document camera for broadcast to all sites. Be sure to include pictures, biographies, and introductions of not only the students (and the instructor), but also the technology support staff at each site. It really does take a "village" to produce a distance education class. Throughout the semester as people interact, their photos can be placed on the screen. Putting a face with the voice will help to link the learners. Cartoons, used strategically, can also interject a sense of fun into the lessons.

Establishing student site coordinators is also very helpful. Prior to each class session, a different student should be asked to assist with the material distribution and the technology support. These duties could include services such as copying, e-mailing, providing information, preparing the room, and troubleshooting. Remote site students that may be traveling to the originating on-site campus can act as class couriers. They can deliver or pick up assignments or materials as needed.

Most instructors keep traditional office hours. In cyberspace schools, instructors may need to arrange "telephone" office hours for conference calls or "chat room/e-mail" office hours. Providing multiple communication options is a key factor in creating virtual learning communities.

May the Technology Wizards Be with You

Inevitably, if something can go wrong, it will, especially with technology. When technical difficulties arise, patience and a sense of humor are vital to success in the virtual classroom. Here are a few suggestions to help instructors to prepare for times when the system does go down.

Develop a contingency plan for each site in the event that one or all sites experience a technology outage. Agree in advance what each site will do if it experiences difficulties. Videotaping each class session will become a valuable resource. For sites that may freeze (due to lost signal), tapes of missed lessons can be viewed. Students that may have to miss a class due to an emergency or inclement weather can also watch these videotapes. In addition, faculty can use the videotapes of the classes for self-evaluation, appraising all aspects of the lesson from content to teaching style.

This instructor endured a disability known as "Document Camera Dyslexia" or DCD as it came to be known in our distance education classes. Positioning overheads and focusing backwards is extremely easy to do when using a document camera. DCD can be reduced or eliminated by spending time practicing with the document camera. Practicing is highly recommended!

When terms for video transmission problems like gating, tiling, and compression become all too familiar, coordination and cooperation between sites and their technical support staffs is extremely necessary. Behind the production and distribution of successful distance education courses are the many highly trained technicians and support staff. Their services and support are invaluable!

Conclusion: Interactive Rethinking

The use of interactive technologies today offers instructors and students a new model of learning - one based on discovery and participation that spans space and time. We may hope that cyberspace schools will be defined as a continuum of dimensional learning for all participants. At this point, however, only space and time will tell.