Web Pedagogies Week 8: Systems Approach Distance Education

Schedule Distance Education –The systems approach of Moore –Transactional Distance –Part of education’s commodification (briefly)? –Distance Ed at DCE Conducting research on distance The findings What would you recommend? Break Lab

Moore: Theoretical Basis for Distance Education Contiguous teaching vs distance teaching Distance education: separation of learners and teachers –Peters: apply industrial methods to designe and delivery of instruction: planning, dol, mass production, automation, quality control

Distance education and transactional distance Distance ed is any separation of learners in time or space Transaction connotes ‘interplay among environment, individuals, patterns of behavior in a situation’ (Boyd and Apps) Physical distance leads to misunderstandings: does that mean no transactional distance in traditional classroom? No but special organization and teaching behaviors are essential

Dialogue and Structure Dialogue lets us focus on ideas, words, actions: things that occur between teacher and student Dialogue influenced by environment –Size of group –Language –Medium of communication Mail vs audioconference

Dialogue and Structure Elements of the course design determine TD – Moore’s concept of structure –Learning objectives, presentations, exercises, tests, projects, etc. Low versus high structure –Moore sees high structure as potentially increasing TD

Learner autonomy Should not only consider teaching variables but also independence of learners, which can be a valuable resource Programs need dimension that would allow for more collaboration among students and teachers and need to allow for greater exercise of autonomy

Gorsky and Caspi’s Critique of Moore Their complaints: –Little or no empirical evidence about whether greater TD is associated with learning outcomes –Too much variation in how TD is measured –Moore’s theory is somewhat circular and that his concepts of dialogue, structure and learner autonomy are not on the same plane

Transactional distance Distance is that of understandings and perceptions Not geographical but pedagogical Overcoming that is a mater of design and interaction procedures Separation significant when need special organizational and teaching behaviors

The systems approach There are component processes that make up distance education Within each component, there are sub- systems Model provides a tool that helps distinguish good distance ed from bad

Systems in Practice While each component may be developed and operated separately, good quality means the integration of each component Can apply systems approach at the level of an organization, a state, a nation, etc. Common misperception is that you can introduce a new technology without taking into account the way the change will affect other parts of the system: just put a camera in the classroom and get on with it.

A systems approach to distance DesignSources Delivery Interaction Learning Environment Student needs Organization History Philosophy Instructional design Media Program Evaluation Print Audio/video Radio/TV Software Video conference Comp. networks From Moore and Kearsley, Distance Education: A Systems View, Wadsworth Publishing Co, 1996, p.9. Instructors Tutors Counselors Admin staff Other students Workplace Home Classroom Learning Cntr

Distance education and systems Interdependence of elements (common thread in systems approaches) Changes in one component affect others Such as? –Management change –Communications technology –Course content

Distance education: the critique from the left Deskilling Breaking down into discrete steps is viewed as part of the problem Race for profit via distance breaks down histories and philosophies “Pedagogical promise and economic efficiency are thus in contradiction. Here is the Achilles heel of distance education.” (Noble) Is Distance ed ‘real’ education?

Distance Education at DCE Why we undertook the research What did we want to find out What did the prior research tell us? –Not starting from scratch: Illinois report –Learning styles research –Building the instruments Why different approaches to faculty and students? (Quantitative vs qualitative)

Investigating Distance Ed at DCE minute group discussion around report

The Findings: students Hybrid courses and hybrid students Learning styles matter Computer Science courses vs. the rest Can’t be the same as the pure in class version.

The Findings: faculty See advantages and disadvantages Different teaching styles Creating community Jumping in too soon can cause problems

The Recommendations What suggestions would you have if given these findings?