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@utk.edu - www.outreach.utk.edu/mcnutt

• Duren Thompson: Research associate for technology training, university of Tennessee center for literacy studies – solveig@utk.edu

What is DE?

• Learning that happens when the instructor and student are in different physical locations

• First ‘distance education technology’

Why DE?

– To reach more students– Because Time = $

• Kids/family

• Job issues

• Transportation

• Course accessibility, e.g. ESOL courses

• Confidentiality

Initial Decisions

• Synchronous vs. Asynchronous

• Independent vs. cohort/group

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

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

Synchronous

– Not self-paced

• Cons:

– 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

Asynchronous

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

Asynchronous

• Pros:

• Self Paced• Schedule Independent• Less expensive• Higher Literacy Level

• Addresses the needs of the textual learner

Asynchronous• Cons:

– 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.

– Does not “feel like ‘school.’”

DE Modalities

• Traditional Correspondence

• Audio/Video Tapes– Stock

– Production

• Electronic Mail

• Television– Broadcast

• Television– Video Teleconferencing

• Internet Teleconferencing

• WWWeb Delivery

• Virtual Classrooms

US Mail

• Traditional correspondence

• Epistolary distance education

• Asynchronous

US Mail Pros:

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

US Mail

Cons: – literacy level requirements

– turn-around time for each assignment/communication

– stigma

– hard cases

– no community

– limited learning styles

– no real-time interaction w/ instructor

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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,

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,

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,

Recommendations/Issues

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

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.ubc/aerc/1997/97spencer.htm

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@utk.edu -

www.outreach.utk.edu/mcnutt• Duren Thompson – solvieg@utk.edu