Distance Education at the Crossroads

Calvert, Jocelyn

doi:10.1080/01587910500168876

Cited by 37 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The emergence of commercial Internet‐based learning tools has led to an increasing realization by many higher education institutions that there are certain advantages in offering online courses (Day, Lou, & Van Slyke, 2004; Lee, Tan, & Goh, 2004). At the same time, there have been many voices against online education in colleges and universities (Calvert, 2005). Often those against the proliferation of online education have claimed that the use of electronic media for delivery of university courses prevents the use of nonverbal cues that are important for student learning (Hirschheim, 2005), leading to higher levels of communication ambiguity and cognitive (or mental) effort and generally less excitement in connection with the learning experience.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media Naturalness and Online Learning: Findings Supporting Both the Significant‐ and No‐Significant‐Difference Perspectives

Kock¹,

Verville²,

Garza³

2007

Decision Sci J Innov Edu

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Is the use of an online course delivery format, when compared with the more traditional face-to-face format, good or bad in the context of university education? Those who subscribe to the no-significant-difference perspective argue that online delivery is good, because it allows students with time and geographic distance constraints to obtain the education that they need, with no significant negative impact on the quality of the learning experience. Others argue that online delivery is bad, advocating a version of the competing significant-difference perspective, because the electronic communication media used for online delivery are not rich or natural enough to enable effective learning. This study contrasted students perceptions and grades in two different sections of the same course: one delivered entirely online and the other delivered face to face. Data were collected and analyzed at two points in time, namely, at the middle and end of a long semester. The study found support for both the no-significant-and significant-difference perspectives. At the middle of the semester, students in the online condition perceived communication ambiguity as significantly higher, and also obtained significantly lower grades, than students in the face-to-face condition. At the end of the semester, no significant differences were found.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media Naturalness and Online Learning: Findings Supporting Both the Significant‐ and No‐Significant‐Difference Perspectives

Kock¹,

Verville²,

Garza³

2007

Decision Sci J Innov Edu

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…She observed that the emergence of eLearning (learning environments created using digital technologies, usually networked and potentially collaborative) has led on-campus educators to believe they are discovering something new, whereas they are often reinventing practices distance educators have used for many years (Calvert, 2005). In attempting to clarify the issues in our workshop we were conscious of this reality -and that many of us fit into the 'newcomers' category that Calvert defined.…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 86%

Distance education in an era of eLearning: challenges and opportunities for a campus‐focused institution

Forsyth

Pizzica

Laxton³

et al. 2010

Higher Education Research & Development

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The growth of eLearning technologies has blurred the boundaries of educational modes to a point where distance education programs can be offered without drawing particular notice on campus. The experience of distance education staff working in campus-focused universities and their perceptions of their chances of successfully planning and teaching by distance should inform evaluation of a university's quality framework. In this case study, we report on the experience of distance educators at an Australian campus-focused university. We identify organisational structure and culture as critical success factors for quality in distance education, with technology a, perhaps surprisingly, minor consideration. While the eLearning era has opened the door to a distance education cottage industry, eLearning strategy has failed to comprehensively prepare the way for the issues unique to distance education. The paper recommends that campus-focused universities must protect their reputation by systematically assuring the quality of their (inevitable) distance offerings.

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“…Such differentiation strategies were necessary in the new, competitive post-Dawkins era, where the elite sandstone universities maintained a significant advantage in an outwardly-but deceptive-new 'level' playing field (Marginson and Consadine 2000, p. 227). While these consortia have now gone, a number of Australian universities continue to be defined by distance education established in that time (Calvert 2005). The sandstone universities typically entered this field later than many others did, but now-as all universities dotend to recognize that the growth of distance education and e-learning world-wide has instilled an expectation in the market that every university would offer at least some distance education (Muirhead 2005).…”

Section: The Uncertainties Of Postgraduate Coursework In Australiamentioning

confidence: 98%

Postgraduate coursework in Australia: issues emerging from university and industry collaboration

Forsyth

Laxton²,

Moran

et al. 2008

High Educ

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Coursework masters degrees in Australia have experienced rapid, decentralised growth since deregulation at the end of the 1980s. The result is an extraordinarily high level of diversity and some confusion as to standards, strategic positioning, purpose and educational approaches. Throughout this period of growth, a sense that large-scale (often distance-education based) collaboration between universities and with industry would be beneficial has not always led to successful outcomes. Using a new collaborative, industryfunded postgraduate coursework program as a case study, this paper describes the issues that decision-makers need to address and evaluates the challenges and benefits of the coursework masters in higher education. The outcomes of industry surveys, student interviews and action research suggest that postgraduate coursework can facilitate technology transfer and aid capacity building, through mechanisms similar to 'mode 2' research. With some additional systems to ensure sustainability and standards, this could position coursework masters to be uniquely valuable nationally.

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Distance Education at the Crossroads

Cited by 37 publications

References 6 publications

Media Naturalness and Online Learning: Findings Supporting Both the Significant‐ and No‐Significant‐Difference Perspectives

Media Naturalness and Online Learning: Findings Supporting Both the Significant‐ and No‐Significant‐Difference Perspectives

Distance education in an era of eLearning: challenges and opportunities for a campus‐focused institution

Postgraduate coursework in Australia: issues emerging from university and industry collaboration

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