Barry O. Williams 1 Theory of Distance Education Brief background

Barry O. Williams 2 Overview  Astounding growth (Garrison, 1990)  Glamorized by technology  Poor conceptual framework –fragmented –lacks theoretical foundation –lacks programmatic research

Barry O. Williams 3 Garrison and Hayes (1990)  “Hodgepodge of ideas and practices taken from traditional classroom settings and imposed on learners who just happen to be separated physically from an instructor.”

Barry O. Williams 4 Justification of Distance Education  Nontraditional education, attempted to define the important and unique attributers –Nontraditional learner (Rumble, 1986) –Separation (Rumble, 1986) –Planned & guided experience (Holmberg, 1986) –Two-way communications structure (Keegan, 1988)

Barry O. Williams 5 Three Historical Approaches (Keegan 1986)  Theories of autonomy and independence –(Wedemeyer 1977) (Moore 1973)  Theory of Industrialization - distance education as an industrialized form of teaching –(Otto Peters 1972)  Theories of interaction and communication –(Baath 1982,87) and (Daniel and Marquis 1979)

Barry O. Williams 6 Identified Essential Elements (Wedemeyer 1981)  Independent learner  Greater student responsibility  Widely available instruction  Effective mix of media and methods  Adaptation to individual differences  Wide variety of start, stop, and learning times

Barry O. Williams 7 Holmberg (1989) Elements continued  Meaningful learning  New learning anchored in the cognitive structure - not rote learning  Centered on interest  Teaching is facilitation of learning  Individualization of teaching and learning  Encouragement of critical thinking

Barry O. Williams 8 Theoretical Constructs  Transactional Distance (Moore 1990)  Determined by amount of dialogue between learner and instructor  Amount of structure that exists in the design of the course  More structure and less student-teacher  Dialog = greater transactional distance  Continuum of transactions  Blurs the distinctions between conventional and distance programs

Barry O. Williams 9 Theoretical Constructs continued  Saba and Shearer (1994) built on Moore’s model –As learner control and dialogue increase, transactional distance decreases –Implication for traditional classroom –Integrated telecommunication systems may permit a greater variety of transactions to occur

Barry O. Williams 10 Theoretical Constructs continued  Interaction (Moore 1989) –Learner-instructor –Learner-content –Learner-learner –Learner-technology (Hillman, Hills, and Gunawardena 1994)

Barry O. Williams 11 Theoretical Constructs continued  Control –Independence and learner control  Learners with internal locus of control, more likely to persist in education (Altmann & Arambasich, 1982; Rotter, 1989)

Barry O. Williams 12 Theoretical Constructs continued  Social Context –How the social environment affects motivation, attitudes, teaching and learning –Notion that technology is culturally neutral –Social equality factor of the technology

Barry O. Williams 13 Theoretical Constructs continued  Saba and Shearer (1994) - built on Moore’s model –As learner control and dialogue increase, transactional distance decreases –Implication for traditional classroom –Integrated telecommunication systems may permit a greater variety of transactions to occur

Barry O. Williams 14 Theoretical Constructs continued  Interaction (Moore 1989) –Learner-instructor –Learner-content –Learner-learner –Learner-technology (Hillman, Hills, and Gunawardena 1994)

Barry O. Williams 15 Theoretical Constructs continued  Control –Independence and learner control  Learners with internal locus of control, more likely to persist in education (Altmann & Arambasich, 1982; Rotter, 1989)

Barry O. Williams 16 Theoretical Constructs continued  Social Context –How the social environment affects motivation, attitudes, teaching and learning –Notion that technology is culturally neutral –Social equality factor of the technology

Barry O. Williams 17 Theoretical Foundation of Distance Education  No theory base for the field “chaotic and confused”  No national policy  No consensus among educators of the value, the methodology or even the concept of distance education

Barry O. Williams 18 Theoretical Foundations continued  Call to stop emphasizing points of difference and identify common educational problems  Call for theoretic model based on constructivistic epistemology  Distinctions blur between traditional and distance education settings

Barry O. Williams 19 Any time Any place Emergingtechnologies 4-Square Map of distance education technology options (Adapted from R. Johansen et al,. 1991,p. 16.) Different place, Same time Different place, Same time Same time, Different place Different place, Same time Same time, Different place

Barry O. Williams 20 Summary  Astounding growth  Glamorized by technology  Poor conceptual framework  Identified Essential Elements  Interaction (Moore 1989)  4-Square Map of distance education technology options