The Distance Learner’s Guide (2nd ed.), by Sally M. Johnstone and George P. Connick (Eds.)

This guide is geared to the potential distance learning student who knows little to nothing about the subject and would like a place to begin. This book and its companion Web site are wonderful places to start in general terms. This is a short—only 157 pages—but rather unfocused book. Since the chapters are short and they cover different objectives, I will look at each separately. I felt that some chapters were pure gold, while other chapters could have been left out entirely, making for an even shorter, but more useful book. The most useful chapters included the first chapter, “Distance Learning,” which offers a general framework of practice; a chapter on asking the right questions of a distance learning provider, and another on library resources. Each of these chapters was filled with information specific to distance learning and offered a litany of useful questions, many of which would not be considered by the starting student.

Other chapters were not as successful. “The Role of the Computer in Distance Learning” tried to cover too much territory at once, while the chapter “Understanding Your Needs” proposed that a distance learning student must live his or her life by a stopwatch, budgeting every hour of the week without regard to learning preference or lifestyle. “Becoming a Better Distance Learning Student” was based on a number of study techniques not specific to distance learning. This was good information in general, but acted to diffuse the importance of the concepts and of the invaluable questions found in other chapters.

Each chapter starts with a list of outcomes, the content of which you should know by its end. This advance organizing principle is excellent and helps structure a large quantity of information.

The first chapter introduces themes of subsequent chapters. It defines terms, and acts as an advance organizer for the rest of the book. Each chapter of the book was written by a different author; this one, by Barbra Krauth, provides a commendable overview of the field, frequently taking long and convoluted concepts and coming to the crux of the argument in a few words. An example: after explaining the differing modalities of distance learning, she stated, “The technologies used in distance learning are enablers. They are only the tools and not the real point of distance learning. What really matters is how engaged you are in your learning experience. The more involved and active you are, the more you will learn” (p. 8). Terms are defined and concepts are explained in easy to understand language. Krauth condenses the field into big pictures with some topics appropriately simplified to make the point without becoming too complex for the general reader. The characteristics that make a successful distance learner are synthesized into six categories, while the literature shows many more (Powell, Conway, & Ross, 1990; Thompson, 1998).

The end of the chapter presents the first of many lists of questions. These ask readers to address their goals, timetables, and constraints. This is an organizing process on an individual level. These, and the subsequent lists of questions, are the most valuable parts of the work, and would be worth the price of the book alone.

George P. Connick, the author of this chapter, packs it with important resources to research distance learning programs appropriate to the reader. He mentions critical topics that could easily be overlooked by a beginning distance learning student, including advice that finding a distance education program within close proximity to the student’s home is something to welcome, since support services are likely to be more abundant. If it is a state school, instate tuition will be lower than at a very distant university. State Web sites are recommended, as well as frequently updated books. The best part of the chapter is the set of 60 questions to ask distance learning providers, covering topics ranging from the cost of connection to accreditation. An excellent point is made regarding support services—the importance to double check on advising and of having one point of contact at the library. When reading these questions, new ideas and issues are bound to be uncovered, which should get the reader thinking deeply about how diverse and complex the distance learning universe can be. Leaving generalities behind, this list is quite complete. It comes as close to fulfilling the promise of comprehensive guidance in this area of distance education than anything else in the book. The companion Web site, www.dlguide.info, offers a hot-linked list of accrediting agencies.

Fred Hurst, the author of this admirable— albeit somewhat confusing—chapter, crams two chapters of material into one. The topics of buying a computer, the proper modem, and finding an Internet service provider (ISP) are enough for a chapter. And the other major concept—that of exploring all the ways a computer can be used in distance learning—is more than enough for a second. The second part is very well done. It covers, in some detail, such topics as LISTSERVs, course management systems, e-mail, threaded discussions, and assignment submissions. Although blogs are not discussed, this error of omission was probably due to its publication date.

Like many other topics, the section about threaded discussion is excellent, giving valuable and well-researched advice on what is expected of a student, how to participate, and the constraints involved. A potential student, being aware of this information before undertaking a distance learning course, will be well prepared for the modalities of online distance learning. The amount of excellent explanation found in this chapter would save readers from the task of finding the information in any number of sources, saving innumerable hours of research.

The portion of the chapter devoted to buying or upgrading a computer is less successful. It does a fine job of discussing how to find out what is adequate for a particular program and provides a good list of questions to ask an institution about their requirements. It also lists the pros and cons of buying the computer from various types of vendors, all great information. But it falls short a bit by repeating the questions in abbreviated form at the end of the chapter as a summary. The chapter does acknowledge that Macintoshes are used as well as PCs, but then speaks from a totally PCcentric perspective. There are some slight inaccuracies, such as when Hurst writes, “To access the Web or exchange e-mail you will need Internet access via a modem, DSL, cable TV or satellite” (p. 55). I may be nitpicking, but cable modem is different from cable TV, although they do come from the same vendor.

The section of the Web site devoted to this chapter is excellent. It provides a printable copy of the questions to ask distance education providers regarding hardware and software issues, along with questionnaires that will assist readers with purchasing a new computer and selecting an ISP. It also contains a wealth of links that will help readers assess distance learning programs and themselves as candidates for distance learning. Also included are a glossary of computer terms and a bibliography of useful print resources.

Chapter four came as a very pleasant surprise by taking on the topic of distance access to libraries and other research resources, an aspect that is often given short shrift in beginner’s books. However, this topic is of critical importance to the success of a distance learning student. David Bileyeu, the author of this chapter, posits that the question a prospective distance learning student should ask along with, “Can I take this course from here, where I am?” is: “Can I get library services that I’ll need here, where I am?” (p. 69).

One of the marks of a well thought out support system for distance learning students is the availability of information through a well-planned and -supported library system. The chapter is divided into a section on locating information in the distance education provider’s library and other institution’s libraries, and strategies for finding and verifying information found on the Web. Librarians are the key to this information, and Bileyeu writes about the changing role of librarians to meet the needs of distance learning students. Outside of the usual phone calls or e-mails, librarians at some providers can “push” Web pages to a student’s computer.

Schools are banding together to offer online assistance to students from all participating institutions through virtual consultations staffed by librarians from all participating institutions who share hours. Readers are told loudly and often that they should not settle for any less than all the services that they can get from a campus-based library. Are electronic resources available from any location? Search strategies and the use of local libraries are also discussed.

The chapter offers valuable information on Internet searches and the verification of found materials. As trained distance educators, this information should be second nature but, to the starting student, the following list of determining the quality of information will be welcomed:

• Who is the author?

• What are the author’s credentials?

• Is the author affiliated with an institution?

• Does the author document his or her sources?

• What evidence is brought to support the information?

• If statistics are cited, are the sources provided?

• How current is the material and when was the site last updated?

• What is the nature of the site? You can determine if it’s associated with government, education, an organization, or a commercial company by looking for .gov, .edu, .org, or .com in the site address. (p.85)

A large number of resource sites are mentioned, but no URLs are given in the text; instead, they are hot-linked on a listing on the companion Web site.

I had problems with this chapter, based on my own personal distance learning understanding and preferences. A good deal of the chapter asks a potential student to fill out a number of forms prioritizing his or her life to see if (a) distance learning is important enough to make substantial personal changes, and (b) how to personally build individual interactivity into his or her online experience. When following the forms at the start of the chapter, the reader is asked to list and prioritize, by weekly hours, the amount of time that will be devoted to all activities, from studying to sleeping. For myself, I could not do well with this finely-grained breakdown of the hours of my life.

Although I do understand the mindset, I cannot live and die by the clock. The idea behind it, that of prioritizing and realizing if the time is actually available for a distance learning course, is well considered, but it is too strident for my learning preferences.

The second part of the chapter covers how to contact the teacher and other students for help. Susan N. Campbell suggests setting up email lists and using a variety of communication modes. I argue that a well-designed distance learning course should include a large degree of interaction by design. Interaction is not something that should need to be contrived by individual students (Berge, 1996; Cummings, 1998; Main & Riise, 1995; Moore, 1989; Vrasidas & McIsaac, 1999; Wagner, 1994).

The last chapter, written by Joseph Hart, is full of useful study techniques appropriate for any sort of academic work. There is very little in this chapter that is specifically geared toward distance learning. Study methods, such as the SQ4R (scan, question, read, recall, recite, or rite) along with such techniques as concept mapping and a structured form of note-taking are explained. This is good information and would be welcome in any study guide, but its inclusion in this book seemed to make a short book longer than it needed to be. There were a set of questions at the end of the chapter to ask distance learning providers about studying, but they did not seem to fit well with the rest of the chapter.

Overall, this is an amazingly valuable book for those who know little about distance learning and are looking for a place to start. However, some of the information given is questionable; not to the extent that it changes the landscape of the world of distance learning, but to someone who has read the literature, some statements just pop out. For example, the book states that correspondence courses started early in the twentieth century when it was actually the mid nineteenth century when Sir Isaac Pitman marketed correspondence courses to teach shorthand (Center for Christian Distance Education, 1999). There are a number of factual inaccuracies but, taken in a larger sense, the readers of QRDE are not the targeted market for this book, and such slight mistakes would make no difference for someone looking for baseline information about distance learning and trying to research a proper program of study. In the main, the book is excellent, well-organized and nearly one-stopshopping for boning up on what to know, what to ask, and what to expect when looking for distance courses and programs.

This book does itself a disservice by trying to attract a general market. I feel that the editors should decide with the next revision of the book if it should be a concise list of well-explained questions to raise more important questions in the mind of a potential student, or an easy-to-read but superficial discourse into the tensions of distance learning. I would be happier with the former. This book is too valuable not to use right away, even given my caveats. However, it would be a better book with editorial direction, toward a single, meaningful focus.