A practical guide to the development of online distance education programs can be found in The Distance Education Evolution: Issues and Case Studies. The compilation chronicles the development of the online program at Temple University, providing an historical perspective that will immediately take the reader back to the late 1990s when we were all convinced that the online university would replace brick-and-mortar institutions. Their experiences, as shared by various contributors, resonate with me as I reflect on my efforts in the development of an online distance education program. For these individuals, theory-informed practice is expressed in the need to focus on educational goals as opposed to technological innovation. This theme sets a context for the contributions made in this book. The faculty and staff at Temple graciously share lessons learned and provide a firm foundation from which to begin endeavors for those who are contemplating the development and delivery of distance-based programs.
This book's audience varies. As presented by the editors, the book provides guidance to administrators and faculty who are considering the development or expansion of distance learning programs. Discipline-specific case studies are presented for faculty who are thinking about developing online courses. I agree with the editors’ assertion that any student who is interested in the phenomenon of distance education would find the book instructive. I would further suggest that university support staff would also find this book helpful, as it provides excellent examples of how faculty needs are being met.
While some research projects are described and findings reported, contributors rely heavily on anecdotal observations and action research to describe their activities. As online distance education is an emergent area of study, many of the authors identified a robust research agenda for the future. For the most part, the presented literature reviews are extensive, and references to other scholarly works appropriately support the assertions being made.
The editors describe online learning at Temple University by identifying issues and presenting case studies. Section I, “Distance Education Issues in Higher Education,” focuses on these issues related to the planning and development of online distance education programs: planning, faculty participation, technology use, accessibility, and virtual teamwork. Chapter 7, “Evaluating a Distance Education Program,” describes the value of formative evaluation processes specific to Temple University's OnLine Learning Program. Monolescu and Schifter chronicle how the ongoing data collection has affected programmatic as well as institutional change.
In Chapter 1, “Creating an Online Program,” Sandy Kyrish describes a two-pronged planning process that recommends the identification of programmatic educational goals and the practical issues of implementation. This is a must-read for administrators who are looking at developing online distance education. Kyrish warns against our tendency in higher education to drift toward “blue sky possibilities” when we should be looking at academic opportunity and unmet needs within the community we serve. Kyrish further points out that technology cannot help us do more and better if delivered programs are not grounded in the institution's existing strengths. The comprehensive process outlined in this chapter includes a discussion of all aspects of programmatic planning, including academic planning, faculty and student support, marketing, financing, profitability and sustainability issues. I especially applaud the notion that effective leadership accompanied by academic credential must be put into place to ensure programmatic success. With Kyrish's focus on educational goals over the technology, it is surprising to note that the only form of faculty training and support that is discussed is technical in nature. Certainly, an effective training program would include pedagogical issues as well.
“Faculty Participation in Distance Education,” Chapter 2, promotes the idea that there can be no successful distance education programs without faculty buy-in, and that the buy-in process may invoke a change in the way the teaching and learning process is perceived by the faculty member. Schifter contends that “[k]nowing what motivates and inhibits faculty participation will facilitate the implementation of new distance education programs and the expansion of current programs” (p. 24). Accordingly, the author presents the results of a study that compares faculty and administrator responses to items that consider motivating and inhibiting factors. This becomes another must-read for administrators, as the analysis shows that there is a disconnect between the two groups as to what motivates faculty. Not surprisingly, it seems that there is a shared understanding of inhibiting factors, including lack of time, support, and merit pay. A discussion of incentives would not be complete without the consideration of faculty compensation. Schifter looks at a study in which respondents were asked to simply identify compensation options provided in their universities. Options are detailed in the chapter, but it is interesting to note that no clear models are identifiable and that compensation is slightly higher for developing a distance education course than for teaching a course.
In Chapter 3, John Sorrentino poses the question: “Can a Viable Distance Education Program Stay Behind the Technology ‘Wave’?” The answer seems to be “yes” if, as discussed in Chapter 2, a motivated faculty member is teaching the course. Sorrentino shares the results of a survey of MBA students, which reveals that most students consider the professor more important than the technology in their learning satisfaction. Also, when comparing educational outcomes of students in the online section of the MBA course with those in a face-to-face section, there was no significant difference reported. Ultimately, Sorrentino argues that a true cost-benefit analysis could be achieved by applying a “Value Net” perspective in considering “a network of interrelationships among principal agents in the market” (p. 43). The principal agents would include all of the inputs into the system, including faculty, staff, hardware, IT infrastructure, and so forth. The need for a systemic approach to programmatic evaluation is certainly indicated and, as suggested, the Value Net components should be considered in template development. Sorrentino convincingly makes the case that scarce resources may be better spent on faculty training and support rather than bleeding-edge technologies.
In Chapter 4, Rosangela Boyd and Bonnie Moulton present everything you ever needed to know about accessibility issues related to online instruction. This all-inclusive resource provides references to and descriptions of statutes regarding access to assistive and information technologies. It also provides an outstanding overview of the computer challenges faced by different disability groups. The authors present design guidelines, and they advance with strong support the notion of “universal design.”
Virtual teamwork is differentiated from virtual group work in Chapter 5 by Stella Shields, Gisela Gil-Egui and Cetta Stewart in, “Certain About Uncertainty: Strategies and Practices for Virtual Teamwork in Online Classrooms.” The substantial literature review considers aspects of virtual teaming, and the critical development of “swift trust” which may support the development of a “community of practice.” Though such a community typically does not develop in a compressed timeframe, the authors come to the conclusion that trust can be generated if “adequate structural conditions and processes for a community of practice” (p. 132) are provided in an online course. While it is certain that managing virtual teams can be daunting at times, the conclusions provide invaluable suggestions for practitioners who are considering the use of such structures in their online courses.
Chapter 6,” Educational Mirrors Industry: On the Not-So Surprising Rise of Internet Distance Education,” by Donald Hantula and Darleen Pawlowicz, analyzes the rise of online distance education. I encourage the readers of this book to start with this chapter, as it attempts to answer the “Why are we teaching online, anyway?” question. Though we typically think of “educational technology” as the use of electronic devices in the delivery of education, the authors remind us that technology is simply the utilization of systematic procedures to produce intended effects. If the intended effect is to prepare students to participate in the prevailing information economy, then the technology must support learner autonomy, flexibility, collaboration, and project orientation. Hantula and Pawlowicz argue that Internet-based distance learning is the educational technology of choice. It is recognized that the human component will present the greatest challenge to the acceptance of such a system. While humans should endeavor to shape the technology to meet their needs, the authors conversely point out that “technology will continue to dramatically redefine learning and teaching and will have a profound impact on the educational institutions that enable these processes” (p.157). In my view, the resulting reciprocal transformation will continue to redefine “formal education” as presented by the chapter's authors.
Section II, “Case Studies in Distance Education,” contextualizes the issues described in Section I by providing a discipline-specific point of reference. As in Chapter 3, enthusiastic faculty members who are justifiably proud of blazing the trail for their colleagues present the case studies. Providing a proponents’ view, enthusiasm is often tempered by descriptions of what can be, at times, the labor-intensive nature of online distance education. The cases are longitudinal, typically covering more than one semester, and in most instances extremely detailed. The outcome data they report, though anecdotal in some cases, help readers contemplate good practice in online distance education.
Chapter 8, “Creating and Using Multiple Media in an Online Course,” by Maurice Wright, Chapter 9, “Teaching a Studies-in-Race Course Online: The Challenge and Rewards,” by Karen Turner, and Chapter 10, “Media Entrepreneurship as an Online Course: A Case Study,” by Elizabeth Leebron present the faculty experience from course development through delivery. The real value for the prospective distance education practitioner comes as these chapters discuss the courseconversion process. The faculty share ways to translate the face-to-face classroom experience, yet challenge the reader to reconsider the pedagogical challenges present in a largely text-based mediated environment.
Section II ends with the examination of two research projects. Ann McFann examines online discussions through listservs in Chapter 11, “Uses and Impact of Academic Listservs on University Teaching.” She uses an exploratory qualitative research design to identify themes and patterns in listserv use across several university courses, including those that meet face-to-face. While warning the reader that current literature regarding listserv use is largely anecdotal and biased in favor of their use, the author points out that her findings lead to similar conclusions about the benefits and disadvantages of online communication. Additionally, she describes strategies for successful and unsuccessful listserv use. It is interesting to note that the “overriding theme among the unsuccessful strategies was the lack of expectation for participation being conveyed to the students” (p. 278). Other presented cases reinforce the idea that though the technology is available, it does not mean that students will intuitively use it or that learning outcomes will result unless educators develop and communicate their goals.
Chapter 12, “Design and Evaluation of an Internet-based Personalized Instructional System for Social Psychology,” by Davis Blann and Donald Hantula, explores the application of the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) model to the online distance education environment. The predominantly text-based model focuses on self-pacing and mastery learning. Though found to be time and labor intensive in precomputer applications during the 1960s, this chapter's authors hypothesized that the online learning environment could meet the requirements of this model through the utilization of an online course management system that provides quizzing, instant feedback, and communication tools. One of the authors taught two iterations of a PSI Internet-based course and used a multiple-cycle action research model to evaluate their delivery. The authors reported high student performance and satisfaction, indicating that the PSI model is effective online. It is interesting to consider the future application of the PSI model as artificial intelligence capabilities are built into course management systems.
In the “Conclusions” chapter authored by Monolescu, she simply states, “This book has reviewed some of the issues that Temple University faced when it launched its distance education program” (p. 315). If you are reading this book review, you too have faced, are facing, or will face these same issues and implementation challenges. The practical guidance provided by this repository of “lessons learned” will surely facilitate your online distance education program development process.
