Distance learning is not new. In the early
1900's, Pennsylvania State University began offering agriculture and
engineering courses to students around the country using the postal system to
distribute and collect assignments. Their primary goal was to provide quality
educational opportunities for geographically isolated individuals. In the
popular mind, these unique educational offerings quickly became known as
"self-study" or "correspondence" courses. Unfortunately,
they were not entirely successful. Some participants found it difficult to
maintain enthusiasm and many never completed the courses.
The goals of
distance learning have changed little in the past 100 years and, although the
methods for delivering and collecting course materials have improved, many
efforts continue to be less than "entirely successful." On average,
one third of those who enroll in a distance learning course end up dropping.
Now as then, the majority of these drops occur because the student's motivation
falters.
The National Teachers Enhancement Network (NTEN) is
committed to developing and providing exceptional educational opportunities for
place-bound individuals. One of our top priorities is helping to
maximize the number of positive distance learning experiences for our faculty
and students. Towards that end, we have developed this handbook to assist
those designing and presenting distance learning courses at Montana State
University.
Congratulations, by participating in a distance learning
course, you are helping to shape the future of higher education. We appreciate
your interest in distance learning and are committed to supporting your
efforts. We can provide technical assistance, help you create customized
multimedia instructional materials, coordinate promotional efforts and more. If
you have questions, telephone the National Teachers Enhancement Network (NTEN)
at 994-6683.
Although some aspects of the design and pedagogy of
distance learning courses are similar to those found in traditional classrooms,
many are subtly different. The following paragraphs highlight the most
significant differences and present some suggestions for those developing NTEN
courses.
Know Your
Audience
Every good teacher
takes time to find out something about their students. However, knowing your
audience takes on an additional importance when planning an NTEN distance
learning course. All of the students participating in the classes on NTEN are
in-service high school teachers. The more that you know about their
backgrounds, expectations and constraints, the better you will be able to
structure your course.
The ideal NTEN telecourse student
will already know much about the subject matter being presented, be highly
motivated, skilled at questioning, communicating, a seasoned educator and have
ample amounts of time to devote to the course. Of course, they will also be
comfortable working with computers and technology and be able to learn new
software packages with ease.
Unfortunately, ideal students are rare.
Since NTEN classrooms are truly global, you should expect diversity in
background and ability. Expect some students who have little or no background
in the subject you are teaching. One teacher clearly indicated their concerns
in an NTEN evaluation: "I was told that I have to teach a course in
Physics next year. I have never taught it before. My background is in
Mathematics and what little Physics knowledge I have is at least 15 years out
of date.
Much of the course was beyond me."
Some will have
trouble finding time to complete your assignments. Others may be reluctant to
participate in on-line discussions because they do not understand the material,
have trouble using their computer systems or both.
Time
Constraints
High School instructors teach
between four and six classes a day. Each class meets for approximately 1 hour.
In addition, they have meetings to attend, papers to grade, tests to prepare
and now, the added commitment of your NTEN course.
Attempting to be
thorough, well-intentioned professors frequently prepare thick packets of
reading materials and may also include numerous supplemental readings and
activities. Even the most dedicated and motivated NTEN student may have
difficulty keeping pace with such a robust course while working full time. In
some cases, comprehensive coverage of each and every topic may not be possible
or desirable. Be selective when designing your course.
This is not to
imply that high school educators need less-challenging course content or easier
work loads. Simply keep in mind that their time is at a
premium.
Adjusting to the
Experience
Despite all of the analogies and
images crafted in the media, the Internet is not a highway.
According to distance learning researcher Linda Harasim, "The Internet is
more like a community. It's not a road going somewhere. That's why people are
having trouble understanding it. It's a place. The first thing everyone types
when they get connected is, 'I'm here!'"
For most, this will be the
first distance learning experience of their professional careers. Some may not
have taken a graduate-level course for a long while. The newness of the
experience combined with the adjustments required to take a course via computer
and modem may promote haphazard study habits. One continuing concern expressed
by NTEN course alums is the difficulty of forcing themselves to "make time
to attend to course activities."
As everyone is "getting
acquainted" at the beginning of the course, help them establish specific
schedules. Set due dates, describe all policies, stress the importance of
active participation, emphasize the necessity of keeping current with the
readings and insist that they communicate with each other and with
you.
Communicating
Effectively
Every
teacher wants their students to participate however, eliciting that
participation is sometimes challenging. Fortunately, high school educators are
typically conversational and eager to participate. Many find it difficult to
network with others who share their professional interests and welcome any
opportunity to converse with their peers.
Encourage their
participation with challenging questions and extended dialogs. Ideally, the
course will be positively influenced by the diversity of information and
opinions available from your students. Actively exploit this diversity and
their energy to expand everyone's knowledge and abilities.
In general,
guide the conversations but don't dominate. You'll find that many topics need
only a small start from you and will quickly evolve of their own accord. In
the same vein, don't be afraid of curtailing out-of-control debates or dialogs
that are clearly unproductive.
Avoid recreating the lecture. Long but
coherent postings often produce silence. Use short open-ended comments that
invite response. Contribute no more than one long comment a day, or less if
students are active. Summarize and focus the discussion with comments that
weave together various threads of interest. Again, several short notes are
better than one long one.
Be responsive--especially at the beginning.
Ensure that every student's comment gets a response. If no one else replies to
a comment, either respond yourself via private message or by mentioning the
original author's comments in one of your later posts. Give credit for good
participation.
Read the system status reports frequently. Encourage
those falling behind with private email. Prompt those who are reading but not
writing ("lurking" in Internet parlance) to share their views. If no
responses have been posted from a student for more than 1 week, telephone them
personally and discuss the problem. The staff at Extended Studies can help
identify methods for obtaining the statistics you need to monitor your
students.
New
Ideas
All teachers look for new and interesting
material which they can integrate into their courses to enliven their teaching
and enhance their student's learning. K-12 educators are no exception;
however, they may not have the time or have developed the professional networks
necessary to "stay current."
As you design your NTEN course,
attempt to include new and exciting activities, techniques and materials which
are directly usable in high school classrooms.
The more
ways that you can suggest uses for and promote the integration of the material
presented in your course, the more meaningful the content will become for your
students and the more motivated they will be to incorporate it into their
teaching.
Software, Realia
& Other Course Materials
Educational software and
other instructional resources are attractive to teachers and students. If you
know of an interesting product, consider including it in the course. Extended
Studies can often arrange for discount purchasing and help address hardware
compatibility concerns.
Pay special attention to the amount of time that
teachers and their students will need to learn and use a particular product. A
sophisticated software package that is filled with features may be too
difficult to integrate into an already full curriculum without extra assistance
from you in the form of specific lesson plans, detailed tutorials, etc.
Similarly, without proper planning "learning the software" may
unintentionally become a chief component of the course--shifting the focus away
from more important topics.
Articulate Clear
Expectations for
Assignments
When
preparing assignments or taking tests students often ask themselves "What
does this professor want?" Unclear expectations on the part of the
professor can do much to decrease a student's motivation and interest.
Every student needs to know specifically:
Without the
opportunity to interact with and observe each other directly, they must rely on
you for literally all guidance and feedback. Avoid allowing students to
develop the perception that their assignments simply disappear once they are
submitted. Grade and return assignments promptly. Take extra time to make
clear comments and indicate specific ways that their work could be improved.
Use a teaching assistant!. Having another individual available to
interact with students and respond to their questions can be extremely helpful.
Consider adopting a grading system where each assignment carries a
specific point value. To compute grades at the end of the semester, one simply
adds up all of the points earned on individual assignments and reads the final
grade from a table. No curving or averaging is involved.
If the grading
table is prepared in advance and distributed to the students at the start of
the course along with an explanation of the point system, they will be able
gauge their progress and accurately predict their final grades.
One NTEN
professor, Edwin Taylor has developed a very precise method of evaluating
students and ensuring that they know precisely what is required to succeed in
his class. Consider the following page from Taylor's course syllabus.
Monday
Summary of NTEN Teaching
Tips
Remember, we are
here to help you. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions
regarding NTEN courses, please share them with us.
Good Teaching!
Last Update: 4/20/95
