Transcript Theory of Distance Education

Theory of Distance Education
Brief background
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Overview
 Astounding
growth (Garrison, 1990)
 Glamorized by technology
 Poor conceptual framework
– fragmented
– lacks theoretical foundation
– lacks programmatic research
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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.”
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Justification of Distance
Education
 Nontraditional
education, attempted to
define the important and unique attributers
–
–
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–
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Nontraditional learner (Rumble, 1986)
Separation (Rumble, 1986)
Planned & guided experience (Holmberg, 1986)
Two-way communications structure (Keegan,
1988)
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Theoretical Constructs continued
 Interaction
–
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–
–
(Moore 1989)
Learner-instructor
Learner-content
Learner-learner
Learner-technology (Hillman, Hills, and
Gunawardena 1994)
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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)
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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
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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
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Theoretical Constructs continued
 Interaction
–
–
–
–
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(Moore 1989)
Learner-instructor
Learner-content
Learner-learner
Learner-technology (Hillman, Hills, and
Gunawardena 1994)
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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4-Square Map of distance
education technology options
(Adapted from R. Johansen et al,. 1991,p. 16.)
Different
place, Same
time
Same time,
Different place
Any time
Any place
Different
place, Same
time
Emerging
technologies
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Same time,
Different place
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Summary
 Astounding
growth
 Glamorized by technology
 Poor conceptual framework
 Identified Essential Elements
 Interaction (Moore 1989)
 4-Square Map of distance education
technology options
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