Contemporary Best Practices in Distance Education Technology With Implications for Adult Education.

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Contemporary Best Practices in Distance Education
Technology With Implications for Adult Education.

• Bill McNutt Technology specialist, university of
  Tennessee Division of Outreach and Distance
  Education mcnutt_at_utk.edu - www.outreach.utk.edu/
  mcnutt
• Duren Thompson Research associate for technology
  training, university of Tennessee center for
  literacy studies solveig_at_utk.edu

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What is DE?

• Learning that happens when the instructor and
  student are in different physical locations
• First distance education technology

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Why DE?

• To reach more students
• Because Time
• Kids/family
• Job issues
• Transportation
• Course accessibility, e.g. ESOL courses
• Confidentiality

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Initial Decisions

• Synchronous vs. Asynchronous
• Independent vs. cohort/group

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Synchronous

• A synchronous learning environment is one in
  which the student(s) and instructor attend at the
  same time, and can all interact.
• Classrooms
• Sports training
• Military training

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Synchronous

• Pros

• Looks like school

• Allows for peer tutoring/mentoring

• Simulates a traditional classroom environment

• Addresses the needs of the Interpersonal Learner

• Provides for Immediate Feedback

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Synchronous

• Cons

• Not self-paced

• Some retraining required for the instructor

• Can be intimidating for the student

• Typically more costly

• Typically more work for the instructor

• Requires dealing with scheduling issues

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Asynchronous

• An asynchronous environment is one in which the
  student and the instructor never meet.
• Correspondence school
• A text book
• Road signs

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Asynchronous

• Pros

• Self Paced

• Schedule Independent

• Less expensive

• Higher Literacy Level

• Addresses the needs of the textual learner

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Asynchronous

• Cons

• Does not feel like school.

• Does not provide a sense of community

• Increases feelings of isolation

• Does not address the needs of the interpersonal
  learner.

• Does not provide for immediate instructor
  feedback.

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DE Modalities

• Traditional Correspondence
• Audio/Video Tapes
• Stock
• Production
• Electronic Mail
• Television
• Broadcast

• Television
• Video Teleconferencing
• Internet Teleconferencing
• WWWeb Delivery
• Virtual Classrooms

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US Mail

• Traditional correspondence
• Epistolary distance education
• Asynchronous

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US Mail

• Pros
• Cheap for program and student
• Low start-up cost
• Re-training minimal
• Unintimidating to instructor and student
• Self-paced

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US Mail

• Cons
• literacy level requirements
• turn-around time for each assignment/communicatio
  n
• stigma
• hard cases
• no community
• limited learning styles
• no real-time interaction w/ instructor

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Video/audio tapes - Purchased

• checkin/out system - asynchronous- independent
  or group
• Pros
• re-training minimal, unintimidating to prof and
  student, self-paced, literacy level requirements,
  addresses more learning styles,
• Cons
• Acquiring tapes, shipping costs, equipment for
  student, turn-around time for each assignment, no
  community, no real-time interaction w/ prof.,
  tape attrition, storage

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Video/audio tapes - Production

• Taping scheduled class asynchronous- group
• Pros keep pace with cutting edge topics, some
  community, literacy level requirements, addresses
  more learning styles, self-paced (less)
• Cons re-training instructor, equipment for
  student, program equipment - own vs. rent,
  infrastructure schedules/timelines

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Electronic Mail

• Courses via existing e-mail accounts
  asynchronous- independent
• Pros faster turn around, cheap (if
  computer/e-mail access exists), self-paced,
  accommodates disabilities,
• Cons computer access and e-mail account for prof
  and student, re-training of student prof, more
  learning styles require more technology, literacy
  level

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Television - Broadcast

• Broadcast TV one way asynchronous-
  independent very similar to video tape
• Pros student needs only TV, no shipping, tape
  attrition, etc.
• Cons not self-paced, cost of broadcast, limited
  time-slots on public TV, geographic boundaries,
  more intimidating to prof.

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Television - Video Teleconferences

• Teleconferencing two way synchronous, group
• Pros community (meet some of classmates, hear
  others ideas), real-time many to one visual
  interaction w/ instructor, more learning styles,
  looks like school
• Cons 200,000 up front cost per site 20-50
  seats, 200/hr technicians and line fees, hard
  copies in advance, live TV, intimidating to
  profs, transportation

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Internet Teleconferencing

• Via computers - two way synchronous group
• Pros community (meet some of classmates, hear
  others ideas), real-time many to one visual
  interaction w/ instructor, more learning styles,
  looks like school, more features (document
  sharing, whiteboard, chat)
• Cons technician (much lower skill),
  transportation issue OR equipment for a student,
  training for student and prof.

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Internet Teleconferencing

• two way synchronous one to one (Net -meeting)
• Pro office hours, one-to one tutoring w/
  instructor or peer, lower cost (one or no
  cameras),
• Con ONLY one to one, equipment needs, literacy
  level, training for student and prof., no
  community,

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Web Delivery

• WWWeb Courses - asynchronous independent or
  group
• Pros Can be very cheap, self-paced, can have
  community, can have many learning styles,
  flexible, easy to update for cutting edge, faster
  turn around
• Cons Site/course development costs, computer
  access for prof. and student, training for prof
  student, literacy level, intimidating to profs
  and students,

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Virtual classrooms

• Via computers synchronous, group
• Pros community (speak and listen), real-time
  audio (and video) interaction w/ instructor
  peers, more learning styles, structured like
  school, more features (application sharing,
  document sharing, whiteboard, chat), prof.
  control of interaction, conducive to small-group
  work, low equipment specs required
• Cons Upfront costs 10-20,000 (to own),
  technicians, training for prof. and student,
  intimidating to prof and student, course
  development,

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Recommendations/Issues

• Authentication
• Building community vs. authentication
• Retraining of staff instructors
• The post office/internet ate my homework
• Funding

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For Further Reference

• Jackson, Robert (2001). Web Based learning
  Resources Library, University of Tennessee
  Division of Outreach and Distance Education.
  http//www.outreach.utk.edu/weblearning
• Additional Sources
• Cahoon, Brad, Ed. (1998, summer). Adult Learning
  and the Internet, New Directions for Adult and
  Continuing Education, 78, 1-82.
• Klass, Gary (2000, July). Plato as Distance
  Education Pioneer Status and Quality Threats of
  Internet Education, First Monday, 5, 1-16.
  http//www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue5_7/klass
• Phillips, Vicky (1998). On the Evils of
  technology in Academia, Get Educated, 1-5.
  http//www.geteducated.com/articles/eviltech.htm
• Spencer, Bruce (1997). Adult Education On-Line,
  1997 AERC Proceedings, 1-6. http//www.edst.educ.u
  bc/aerc/1997/97spencer.htm

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For Copies of the Presentation

• Copies of this presentation available via the WWW
  at either location
• http//cls.coe.utk.edu/literacy_resources/
• libraries/coabe01.html
• http//www.ce.utk.edu/McNutt/
• Contact the Presenters
• Bill McNutt mcnutt_at_utk.edu - www.outreach.utk.ed
  u/mcnutt
• Duren Thompson solvieg_at_utk.edu