Quality in Distance Learning:

1
Quality in Distance Learning

• Principles, Indicators and Practices
• Dr. John Opper
• Sarah C. Latham

2
Technological Change?

• The growth of the network was, in fact, nothing
  short of explosive it grew so fast that it was
  almost impossible to keep track of its size.
• Newspapers may go out of existence.
• It provides new ways to cheat, steal, and lie.

3
Technological Change?

• The growth of the network was, in fact, nothing
  short of explosive it grew so fast that it was
  almost impossible to keep track of its size.
• Newspapers may go out of existence.
• It provides new ways to cheat, steal, and lie.
• Comments concerning the impact of the telegraph
  about 1860.

4
Context for Concerns

• What is Distance Learning?
• How has it evolved?
• 4 generations of technologies
• How is it delivered?
• How prevalent is its use?
• In 1997-98 54,470 different distance education
  courses were offered
• 8 of all institutions offered complete degree or
  certificate programs solely through distance
  education

5
Context for Concerns

• Rise of Distance Learning
• University of Phoenix
• Western Governors University
• Harcourt Learning Direct
• Jones International University
• A host of corporate and private providers

6
Student Behaviors

• Who is taking distance learning courses?
• Approximately 14.6 million enrolled students in
  1997-98. Approximately 86 at the undergraduate
  level.
• Of all students enrolled in credit courses,
  approximately 11 in distance learning courses.
  (About 9 and 13 of all undergraduate and
  graduate students respectively.

7
Increased Competition

• Is it possible to accredit entirely on-line
  institutions?
• Can accreditors determine if on-line institutions
  meet the same basic criteria for quality as
  traditional institutions?
• Accreditation of Jones International University

8
Increased Competition

• 3 features which critics maintain are the basis
  for quality in higher education
• Guarantee of academic freedom
• Existence of a functioning system of collegial
  governance
• Group of scholars and students engaged in
  teaching, learning, and expanding the frontiers
  of knowledge

9
Projections Gartner Group

• Increased competition will push 80 percent of
  traditional higher- education institutions in the
  United States to deliver more than 60 percent of
  undergraduate content through distributed
  learning by 2004 (0.7 probability).
• By 2004, more than 60 percent of all colleges and
  universities globally will be offering courses
  and programs (anything) to students anytime, from
  anywhere to anyplace (0.8 probability).

10
What is Quality?

• Through accreditation, the public, employers and
  other institutions have some assurance that a
  minimum standard of competency is being offered
  to and expected of students. (quality)
• The level of competency can vary within and among
  institutions that are accredited.
• Quality is a degree of excellence.

11
Quality and Accreditation

• Cause and effect?
• Is there a quality issue with distance learning?
• Is quality a code word for something else?
• Actual quality or who defines it?
• Do we really only know it when we see it or can
  it be defined in some standard way?

12
Quality Policy

• Association statements.
• Accreditation policies, guidelines or working
  documents.
• Principles of Good Practice - regional
  cooperatives.
• Governing and coordinating board policies.

13
SREB Principles of Good Practice

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Institutional Context and Commitment
• Role and Mission
• Students and Student Services
• Faculty Support
• Resources for Learning
• Commitment to Support
• Evaluation and Assessment

14
Western Cooperative for Educational Technology

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Institutional Context and Commitment
• Role and Mission
• Faculty Support
• Resources for Learning
• Students and Student Services
• Commitment to Support
• Evaluation and Assessment

15
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Evaluation and Assessment
• Library and Learning Resources
• Student Services

16
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Evaluation and Assessment
• Library and Learning Resources
• Student Services
• Facilities and Finances

17
Northeastern Association of Schools and Colleges

• Mission and Purposes
• Planning and Evaluation
• Programs and Instruction
• Faculty
• Student Services
• Library and Information Resources
• Physical Resources
• Financial Resources

18
Northeastern Association of Schools and Colleges

• Mission and Purposes
• Planning and Evaluation
• Programs and Instruction
• Faculty
• Student Services
• Library and Information Resources
• Physical Resources
• Financial Resources
• Organization and Governance
• Public Disclosure
• Integrity

19
Western Association of Schools and Colleges

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Evaluation and Assessment
• Library and Learning Resources
• Student Services
• Facilities and Finances

20
Some Similarities?

• The similarities are considerable!
• Suggests that the demonstration of quality
  might be done in some common ways.
• Reasonable or adequate test?

21
Some Differences?

• The Cooperatives, SREB and WICHE, are almost
  identical.
• The accrediting agencies have some additional
  focus on
• Organization and Governance
• Facilities
• Planning
• Finance

22
Integrity!?!?

• Northeastern Association of Schools and Colleges
• - ensures integrity of student work and the
  credibility of the degrees, certificates and
  credits it awards.
• -programs offered through distance education
  fulfill the Commissions Standards for
  Accreditation and its POLICY FOR THE
  ACCREDITATION OF ACADEMIC DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE
  PROGRAMS OFFERED THROUGH DISTANCE EDUCATION.

23
The Heart of the Issue

• There are some areas in reviews of distance
  learning course and programs that seem to
  continuously emerge as potential problems.
• In most cases the quality guidelines or
  principles address them?
• How should we respond?

24
Some Typologies To Avoid

• The Bolt-On
• The Student Castaway
• The Dangling Modifier
• The Well-Intentioned Designer

25
The Bolt-On

• Little modification of instructional content.
• Primarily a mode of delivery change.
• Cost of instruction is higher!

26
The Student Castaway

• Student largely left to own devices
• Learning resources?
• Advising and tutoring?
• Interaction with instructor low.
• Basic institutional services difficult to access.

27
The Dangling Modifier

• Course modifications made.
• Unintended consequences and loose ends.
• Lack off understanding of the student
  instructional experience.
• Lack of institutional support and training.
• Do what I say not what I do.

28
The Well-Intentioned Designer

• Often problems of a new course offering
• Often feels like a Lone Ranger
• An incomplete set of tools and/or learning
  experiences for the course.
• Need for a support structure
• Listen to the students
• Look at the data - performance, email,
  submissions.
• Rely on the experience of others.

29
The Problem Areas!

• Appropriateness of a technology or delivery mode.
  
• Faculty training and support.
• Interactivity between students and faculty.
• Student support services.
• Evaluation of mode of delivery.

30
Appropriateness of Technology

• Review and approval processes ensure the
  appropriateness of the technology being used to
  meet program or course objectives.
• (Please discuss why particular technologies or
  modes of delivery were chosen.

31
Faculty Support and Training

• The program or course provides faculty support
  services specifically related to teaching via an
  electronic system.
• (Describe the nature of the support services
  offered to faculty.)
• The institution assures appropriate training for
  faculty who teach using technology.
• (What types of training is offered to those
  involved in SREC listed courses and programs?)

32
Faculty Support and Training

• The program or course provides adequate
  equipment, software and communications to faculty
  for interaction with students, institutions, and
  other faculty.
• (Describe any specific equipment, software and
  communications methods to enhance student faculty
  interaction.)

33
Learner Resources

• The program or course ensures that appropriate
  learning resources are available to students.
• (Describe the range of resources such as
  textbooks, readers, tapes, CD's, access to
  digital databases and other library resources and
  how the student acquires them.)
• The program or evaluates the adequacy of, and the
  cost to students, for access to learning
  resources. It also documents the use of
  electronic resources.
• (Describe any processes used for evaluation and
  attach any additional costs to the student for
  such access not covered in tuition and regular
  fees.)

34
Interactivity

• The course provides for appropriate interaction
  between faculty and students and among students.
• (Describe the nature of the interaction for the
  course. In the case of a degree program describe
  the general nature of the student interactions
  across all of the courses while noting specific
  exceptions when necessary)

35
Same as.

• Academic standards for all programs or courses
  offered electronically are the same as those for
  other courses delivered at the institution where
  the programs originate.
• Student learning in programs or courses delivered
  electronically should be comparable to student
  learning in programs offered at the campus where
  the programs originate.
• (If any research data are available to support
  the nature of the student outcomes, please
  provide a summary or copies if available.)

36
Final Thoughts

• Quality depends upon who is defining it and the
  audience or constituency involved.
• Its a case that must be made using persuasive
  actions, processes and data.
• Motivations and results are important
• Watch the completion rates!
• Understand the constituency!
• Make it your best effort!

37
A New Recommended Resource

• Putting Principles Into Practice Promoting
  Effective Support Services for Students in
  Distance Learning Programs
• (WWW.WICHE.EDU/telecom/About/Studentservdocs.htm)