The Distance Education Primer

(Editor's note: What follows in this section is an excerpt which should help those new to distance education understand it's basic components, who's using it, and how they are using it.)

OVERVIEW OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
Distance education describes educational activities which interactively link two or more people at two or more locations.

Recent telecommunications developments, particularly integrated voice, video and data systems, as well as satellite and compression technologies, have made distance education a viable alternative to improving access to educational opportunities for learners of all ages, at all levels and in diverse environments.

Distance education is a viable, effective and efficient training medium for a number of reasons:

USING DISTANCE EDUCATION
Distance education can be used in any environment where people need improved access to information, have a need to share resources, or where learners, teachers, administrators and subject matter specialists must travel to distant locations in order to communicate with one another. In other words, educational, as well as business, government and private organizations can benefit from distance education. Some of those include:

Delivery of distant education involves a variety of media to transmit instruction. Today, distance education is likely to use a combination of instructional tools and mediums, such as audio, computer and video conferencing, electronic and voice mail, multi-media (computer based and controlled), traditional media which includes audio and video tapes, slides, overheads and handwritten graphics, print support and faxing. The Teletraining Institute uses all these mediums, based on its student needs.

Four Cornerstones Are Building Blocks for Distance Education
Four key elements comprise the essence of distance education:

Each of these four elements are very important to successful distance learning programs. Without careful planning and implementation of each of these, your distance education efforts will be less successful than they should be.

Here's a quick overview of each element.

Instructor Preparation/Training
The training program you use and the teletechniques employed by your instructors are the most critical components of your effort. Instructors who are able to fully master the technology in the distance learning room will provide meaningful results.

The four basic steps to address in successful training programs that are presented in Teletraining Institute workshops and seminars are based on studies in two areas: research and practice. The research includes related areas of adult education, communications, learning and listening, in addition to teleconferencing. The four basic steps are: Humanizing, participation, message style and feedback.

Humanizing is the process of creating an atmosphere that focuses on the importance of the individual and overcomes distance by generating group rapport. It is important to add humanizing to your list of planning considerations because many participants may be all alone at their locations, may never have used teleconferencing equipment before and may be expecting something quite different from the teleconferencing experience.

Participation in teleconferencing is defined as the process of getting beyond the technology by providing opportunities for spontaneous interaction among participants. Instructors, as communicators and facilitators, want their audience to interact with information being presented. That is why it is important to encourage involvement in the communication process and why time must be built into the program for that purpose. One of the strengths of teleconferencing is its capacity for two-way communication, which helps maintain interest in the program.

Message style is presenting what is to be said in such a way that it will be received, understood and remembered. In teleconferencing, where participants are receiving the message by listening, it is important to think about the things we know about listening that may help improve the communications process. Certainly there are some factors about listening yet to be discovered, but there are some guidelines about presenting aural messages which make presentations via teleconferencing more effective and enjoyable. Teletraining Institute instructors provide these guidelines.

Feedback is the process of getting information about the message which helps you and the participants complete the communications loop. It helps in correcting misunderstandings and filling in omissions. Feedback can also be used in planning future programs. It is important to consider how you will get feedback because teleconferencing settings give you verbal cues only. With group members physically separated from you, you'll want to find ways to get feedback during program time as well as off the-air.

Selected Technologies
The specific technology you use should be selected based on the solution that meets the need you've identified in a cost efficient manner. Your options include solutions as simple as using telephones and a conference call provider, to the installation of complete television studios. We will go into more detail regarding the technologies on page 11.

Program Management
It is crucial that your distance learning program be managed in a way that meets the needs of the students, provides the necessary resources to the instructors, including adequate training, reliable equipment and student support services. This component of your program is vital to the overall success of your program.

Management issues include: Programming you use; student support services; integrating distance education into the curriculum; faculty development; handling instructor work loads; instructor compensation and incentives; facilitators (other than instructors) training; acquiring special facilities that might be needed; course design; program evaluation. These are a few of the issues to thoroughly review and make plans for before beginning a program.

Program Offerings
Course offerings must be designed to meet the identified needs of your targeted students. A carefully constructed needs assessment instrument will help with this process. Once the needs have been identified, courses can be determined and designed. During this process, special equipment or facilities should be identified, as well as the types of instructional support required.

Programming issues include: Course selection (does it fill a need and is it efficient); course design, special facilities, instructional support and evaluation.

Voice, Print Technology Provide Options
Telephone, voice mail and fax machines all provide simple solutions in distance education. And telephones serve as back-up audio for all types of distance education technology uses.

Audio conferencing can be accomplished using simple off the shelf speakerphones. However, the limitations in quality, and numbers that can be connected at one time may result in your needing a room that is designed to include audio mixers, multiple microphones and an audio bridging device. Voice conferencing is a very effective way of including multiple people in a meeting, delivering courses, and bringing in experts to help with problem resolution.

Voice mail systems provide users a way to educate those who need information but who don't need to talk to a human being to get that information. For example, schools provide access to all kinds of information ranging from homework assignments to lunch menus and calendars of events. Business, like banks, provide systems that allow customers to handle a multiple of banking issues on the phone. This menu approach that allows customers to quickly handle work is used by a wide variety of businesses today. Voice mail systems can be purchased by a variety of sources, or users can subscribe to one of the many systems available from telephone companies.

Fax machines have become an important communications tool. Features and prices vary widely according to user needs. Lessons, course syllabi, handouts and tests can be faxed between students and instructors located at multiple locations.

Distance Education Makes Use of Technology
Computers: Integral to Distance Education Personal computers have become an integral part of many distance learning programs. Whether they are used as a communications tool between students and instructors, or as an instructional delivery tool, they serve as a powerful asset to the program.

Equipment you will need includes a computer with a color monitor, a modem, communications access software and basic productivity software. If you will be connecting your computer to video conferencing equipment, or using it as a desktop video unit, you will need other equipment specific to your application.

Computers are used in distance education in a number of ways, including electronic mail (e-mail), access to the Intemet, on-line classes, computer and audiographic conferencing.

E-mail is fast becoming a substitute for written communication delivered by services like the U.S. Post Office. The fact that e-mail is practically instantaneous and can be accessed anywhere is contributing to rapid growth of the technology. In distance learning, e-mail is frequently used as a tool for students and instructors to "discuss" lessons and to communicate on all types of issues.

The Internet, with it's more than 40,000 networks provides valuable resources. Used in conjunction with a distance learning program, the information contained within Internet becomes part of the overall instructional program.

On-line classes are becoming a big part of distance learning. Whether they use the Internet, or some other form of e-mail, lessons delivered using this technology are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most of these classes are taken by the student at their own pace without the continuous presence of an instructor.

Computer conferencing allows students to see the same information on their computer screen at the same time and to interact in some way with that information. Students can insert text, manipulate spreadsheets and work collaboratively on graphics.

Audiographic conferencing adds the audio element to computer-to-computer conferencing. Previously, special equipment was required for this technology. Today, most audiographic programming uses standard computers and the telephone to enable students to interact with the visual presentation and audioconference at the same time.

Video Brings Distance Training to Life Video adds the all important visual dimension to learning. It allows students to participate in collaborative activities with students in other locations and actively participate in demonstrations. An additional advantage is that both instructors and students pick up visual cues from each other.

Two types of video are used in distance education: oneway and two-way or multi-way video.

In one-way video, video only goes one way as the name indicates. Multiple sites can see the instructor, but the instructor can only see students present in his or her location.

The most common way of delivering one-way video is via satellite transmission. Satellite programs are used when programming is sent to multiple locations across a wide geographic area.

In two-way or point-to-point and multi-way or multipoint videoconferences, video signals go both ways. Each site sees and hears each of the other sites. Each location in this type of conference is equipment with video cameras, microphones and monitors.

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