Back Home Next

ASC Proceedings of the 39th Annual Conference
Clemson University - Clemson, South Carolina
April 10-12, 2003          pp 91-96

Case Study for Long Distance Learning Between the University of North Florida and the American University*

 

Mag Malek
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL

*An ASC 2003 Best Paper nomination

This paper is based on a proposal that suggests a pedagogical cooperation between the University of North Florida and The American University using the new avenues presented through the world-wide-web technology. Distance learning is the wave of the future. Through it, students can expand their education horizons and options. Distance education is defined as a type of education that utilizes one or a variety of media to deliver instruction to a student at a site remote from the instructor.  Leveraging Internet technologies, distance education is enjoying a renaissance.

Although distance education has existed in various forms since the industrial revolution, it is only recently -- with the emergence of web-based delivery platforms -- that it has become the center of so much attention. In 1998, 54,000 courses were available over the web in 1998, yet serving only 1.6 million students.  In 2002 these numbers have been exponentially increased.  Consequently, many university presidents are now asking “Why not?” instead of asking “Why distance learning?”

 Key Words: Feeds, blackboard software, streaming media

 

Introduction

 

Presently, there is undoubtedly an increased attention from university presidents to the distance learning issue as well as higher expectations and greater scrutiny. The main reason for this support is due primarily to a business expectation: increased enrollments, lower operating costs, and (in some institutions) higher profits. Greater administration commitment and scrutiny ensures that in order to thrive in today’s more businesslike post-secondary institutions, distance education programs must demonstrate business results.  However, if this is true in the industry, the picture is more complex in academia and comprises other dimensions and factors related to learning and accessibility of the teaching material.  Kaplan and Norton (1996) categorized these factors into four indicators of performance: learning, operating efficiency, customer satisfaction, and financial success. Having only one performance measure, without the other indicators is bound to give an incomplete picture. In distance education, organizations should move beyond enrollment targets and set goals that -- as a group – paint as complete a picture of performance as possible.

 

 

History of FEEDS

 

What is FEEDS? Initially, The Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS) is a system that was created to deliver academic programs to place-bound engineers throughout the state of Florida.  FEEDS is a statewide system in Florida providing access to graduate and undergraduate level courses at corporate sites and cooperating university centers.  Place bound engineers have access to degree programs, courses and certificates. 

 

The system was first established in 1963.  Success in this program spawned statewide interest and a plan for development and eventually the FEEDS through the lobbying and support from the industry was established in 1982 with legislative fiscal support.  The success of FEEDS is due in part to widespread faculty support cooperation among the participating universities and effective academic-industrial interaction.  Since its inception more than 500 working engineers in Florida have earned their Master’s degree through FEEDS.  In the same context it is worth mentioning that the support FEEDS provide to undergraduate programs all over Florida is substantial.

The University of North Florida supports the use of distance and online learning technologies to enhance its existing curriculum and to increase student access to courses and programs. The University is committed to ensuring that distance learning offers students an educational experience equal to or better than that which they would receive during face-to-face instruction. At UNF, the use of distance and online learning is not the goal, it is the means to the goal: a quality education for our students (see Table 1).  UNF started to move the FEEDS to a higher platform that will serve students beyond the state of Florida reaching the boundaries of other countries.

 

 

Table 1

 

Customer Satisfaction Goals

·         Improve access - To improve access to instruction for working engineers whose schedules require a certain flexibility (e.g., night shift crews), or those who are geographically dispersed.

·         Individualize instruction – Individualize instruction through blended course offerings (that combine delivery methods) and individualize content selection based on the need expressed by AUC to the faculty of UNF

·         Lifelong learning - To support continuous learning, sustaining learning experiences Employer relations – How can we improve employer perceptions/acceptance of distance education degrees so that students with such degrees are perceived as just as qualified, if not more qualified, than resident students. beyond the time constraints of the classroom.

·         Employer relations – How can we improve employer perceptions/acceptance of distance education degrees so that students with such degrees are perceived as just as qualified, if not more qualified, than resident students.

·         Collaboration - To provide collaborative educational opportunities between the American University and the University of North Florida.

 

 

 

 Paper’s Objectives

 

 

The goal of this paper is to assist institutions outside the countries boundaries, in this case AUC, in enhancing the capability of providing affordable access to quality learning opportunities and services by creating a cooperative atmosphere that will lead to a seamless distance learning experience for students.

 

In an attempt to summarize the goal of this proposal, several are mentioned in a bullet like format divided into main categories in Table 2.

 

 

Table 2

 

Goal Summary

LearningGoals

·         Innovate instruction – Distance education programs can act as testing ground for performance of innovative instructional strategies

 

·         Faculty development – As part of the design and delivery process, faculty will develop new medium-specific skills and may improve their overall teaching skills as well.

 

 

Financial Goals

·         Operating costs - To reduce costs for the student, the school, and the faculty.

 

·         Profit – With for-profit organizations, this will inevitably enhance high profitability

 

 

The Scope of the Study

 

 

It is proposed to implement the long distance learning in stages.  The first will be limited as a pilot project to one course namely: Construction Planning and Scheduling for Engineers. 

 

The scope will be gradually increased at a pace that will be decided by the actual experimentation.  The goal could eventually evolve to include graduate and undergraduate programs awarding dual certificates from the University of North Florida and the Sister University.  This vision is however at this present time remote and optimistic but could be achieved in gradual steps.  

 

 

The Resources Needed for the Implementation

 

These resources are of three natures: 

 

1.        Human

2.        Technological

3.        Financial

 

Human Resources Needed

 

 

Thach and Murphy (1995) identified the principal roles, skills, and deliverables required to deliver distance education. The study identifies eleven roles, which are listed along with their descriptions in Table 3.  However, considering this confined pilot project only the highlighted ones are recommended in this proposal due to the restricted application envisioned in this proposal

 

Table 3

 

Showing a Summary of 11 Distance Learning Roles

Role

Description

Instructional Designer

Work with instructors and/or SMEs to design courses, revise existing courses to fit distance learning environment

Instructor

Provided by UNF

Lead instructional design effort, facilitate course delivery, monitor and evaluate learner performance

Technology Expert

Provided by UNF

Advise in selection of distance learning technology, ensure reliability of technology, assess future changes in technology

Technician

Keep equipment in running condition, respond to users’ questions and problems

Administrator

Provided by both UNF & Sister University

Manage staff and operations, balance budget, market distance learning programs

Site Facilitator

Provided by Sister University

Assist students in learning at remote sites, distribute/collect materials/assignments, proctor tests

Support Staff

Provided by Sister University

Register students, communicate course schedule/descriptions, coordinate support services

Editor

Edit course content for style, clarity, grammar, and structure. Arrange text layout for presentation

Librarian

Provide library assistance to students, assist with searches, delivery materials to students

Evaluation Specialist

Provide tools and evaluation instruments, monitor program success/problems, consult instructor about evaluation

Graphic Designer

Design attractive, clear layout, ensure materials facilitate learning

Adapted from Thach & Murphy (1995: p. 67-69).

 

 

 

The Technological Resources Needed

 

 

The Computing Services Department of UNF provides support for University-wide online learning technologies.  There are three different technological support serviced by UNF:

 

The Blackboard software- provides the online tools used in web-enhanced distance learning technology, including chat and discussion, e-mail, quizzes and document sharing.
Streaming Media- permits audio, video and other multimedia to be delivered anytime, anywhere over the Internet.  Streaming media permits audio, video, images and other multimedia elements to be combined and sent across the Internet, creating compelling presentations and providing reasonable quality even over slow network connections. Both live events and pre-recorded media can be delivered using this service
Video Tele-Conferencing- This is a technology that adds video and application sharing capability to voice.  This combination offers a richer form of collaboration between people communicating across a distance. VTC is commonly used for distance learning courses and "virtual" meetings. VTC is a technology that allows participants to communicate in real-time using both voice and video as well as share data. It works much like the phone system, where one location or "site" calls another. The site that you call is commonly referred to as the "far" site. Conference calling (in the traditional "telephone" sense), where more than two sites communicate simultaneously with each other, is also possible.   UNF uses the First Virtual Corporation V-Station mobile (“roll-around”) unit, which allows us to quickly setup and provide VTC capability in the multiple locations in Building 1. It is an all-in-one system that includes:
Speaker-integrated large (29”) monitor
Motorized pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera
Omni-directional "boundary" microphone with mute button
Customized computer, with wireless keyboard/mouse, for connectivity and control

 

Additionally, UNF has "room systems" in Buildings 9 and 43. These are sophisticated setups of multiple PTZ cameras, microphones, speakers, and video projectors that provide multiple camera angles, enhanced sound capturing and amplifying, and large, clearly viewable video images. Each system is controllable through a convenient console integrated in the podium.

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

Distance education in postsecondary institutions is seeing dramatic growth. Distance education is a force that will stand the test of time and succeed in bringing about profound changes in the way we teach and learn.  However, much will depend on distance education’s ability to deliver results, not just in terms of bottom-line returns for institutions but also in terms of:

 

Fruitful educational experiences for students
True access across socio-economical classes and regions
Adoption of innovative instructional approaches

 

References

 

Garrison, D.R. (1990). An analysis and evaluation of audio teleconferencing to facilitate education at a distance. The American Journal of Distance Education, 4(3), 16-23.

 

Garrison, D.R., & Shale, D. (1987). Mapping the boundaries of distance education: Problems in defining the field. The American Journal of Distance Education, 1(1), 7-13.

 

Holloway, R.E., & Ohler, J. (1991). Distance education in the next decade. In G.J. Anglin, (ed.), Instructional technology, past, present, and future (pp. 259-66). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

 

Horton, W. (1994, June). How we communicate. Paper presented at the meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication. Denver, CO.

 

Kell, D., et al. (1990). Educational technology and the restructuring movement: Lessons from research on computers in classrooms. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston.

 

Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1974). Instructional goal structures: co-operative, competitive, or individualistic. Review of Educational Research, 44, 213-240.

 

Jonassen, D.H. (1992). Applications and limitations of hypertext technology for distance learning. Paper presented at the Distance Learning Workshop, Armstrong Laboratory, San Antonio, TX.

 

Keegan, D. (1986). The foundations of distance education. London: Croom Helm.

 

McNabb, J. (1994, October). Telecourse effectiveness: Findings in the current literature. Tech Trends, 39-40.

 

Millbank, G. (1994). Writing multimedia training with integrated simulation. Paper presented at the Writers' Retreat on Interactive Technology and Equipment. Vancouver, BC: The University of British Columbia Continuing Studies.

 

Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (1994). Computer support for knowledge-building communities. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 3(3), 265-283.

 

Schamber, L. (1988). Delivery systems for distance education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 304 111).

 

Schlosser, C.A., & Anderson, M.L. (1994). Distance education: review of the literature. Washington, DC: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.