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