Electronic technologies electrifying distance learning.

Distance learning was considered in this study as instructional activities provided to other learning sites away from the main institutions by way of instructional technologies or faculty travel. Delivery of educational experiences on the main campus from remote sites was also considered. Although distance learning has for centuries influenced the American educational culture, it has recently acquired undisputed prominence at various learning institutions. As multiple modern forms of instructional technologies immerge, learners are increasingly engaging in learning that is accessed outside the traditional delivery practices (teacher and learner in the same room), thereby reshaping the educational landscape in profound ways. Consequently, institutions are invoking a new type of thinking to effectively confront the new challenges resulting from new learning demands and expectations (Oblinger, Barone, & Hawkins, 2001).

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Modern advanced technology revolution is increasingly enabling learning to become technology dependent. This reality is especially obvious in the field of distance learning where advanced delivery technologies are responsible for learning experiences comparable to face-to-face campus-based learning (Head, Lockee, & Oliver, 2002). Both simple and advanced technologies are for example, aiding faculty at the University of Wyoming to reach learners in remote locations around the state of Wyoming and the world at large. The use of electronic video cameras and NetMeeting-ready computers, relatively inexpensive technologies, facilitates learning for both the auditory learners and those that prefer "face-to-face" interaction with the instructor. The accompanying Whiteboard serves as a "Chalkboard" in a computer screen. Whiteboards create a feeling of a traditional learning environment albeit learners are alone in remote learning sites. Without a doubt, technology is gradually eliminating the many barriers, including institutional cultures, which frequently discouraged learners from participating. As a result, there is a noted increase of digital or virtual colleges around the world (Ryan Scott, Freeman, & Patel, 2000).

As more and more virtual colleges become a reality, the nuisances of long distance that many learners encountered as they traveled to educational sites away from home is progressively becoming a non-issue, thereby availing educational experiences to anyone. Indeed, inhome degrees are slowly assuming normalcy to the professional and nonprofessional audience that is usually motivated to study at their own pace and convenience. As states and school districts around the nation scramble to ensure compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, technology delivered instruction is certainly playing a critical role in the necessary retooling process.

In Wyoming, educators and paraprofessionals interested in completing the NCLB requirements are using the Wyoming Equality Network (WEN) to access the necessary professional training. WEN is enabling paraprofessionals in remote parts of the state to acquire the necessary training without having to step in a traditional oncampus classroom. Chute and Shatzer's (1995) predicted that instructional technologies would soon deconstruct learning as we know it and introduce other new multiple dimensions of educational access. This predication has apparently come to reality as is clearly evident in the multitude of learners accessing educational experiences right from their living rooms, work, and play areas.

The availability of modern electronic technologies is increasingly eliminating barriers that previously prevented many learners from enrolling as oncampus students. Daniels (2002) highlighted the need to balance employment conditions with the demands of education as a real impediment. In many isolated rural communities, the hundreds of miles separating the learner and learning centers, together with uncooperating weather, are usually additional hindrances. Technology is however, increasingly overcoming most of these challenges. Nowadays, modern technologies enable both the learner and faculty to engage in learning and teaching without having to leave their homes.

A quick examination of the popular instructional technologies that are frequently used showed a heavy reliance on electronic-based technologies. Web-based instruction is by far the most popular, possibly because of the research that reported an increase in the learner's problem-solving and critical thinking skills in web-based face-to-face instruction (Sanders & Morrison-Shetler, 2001). Other popular technologies include NetMeeting, interactive television, computers, electronic or virtual classrooms, and compressed video. The video information systems, electronic bulletin boards, and multiple-platform networks are also used. Meanwhile, it is obvious that most of the favored distance education delivery media have the capability to accommodate audio, visual, or both forms of interactions. Shaeffer and Farr (1993) however, recommended that the nature and type of planned learning activities always determine the type of technology used.

If the instructional purpose is to transmit information including facts and subject knowledge, instructional technologies that facilitate one-way communication work just fine (University of Wyoming School of Extended Studies and Public Service Faculty Guide, 1995). In this case, it is possible to achieve the intended learning goals through radio, television, audio-tape, and videocassette. Technology that allows for a two-way communication is necessary when the purpose of instruction is to enhance thinking skills, promote understanding of concepts and principles, and to develop and/or enhance problem-solving skills.

Technology that accommodates two-way communication is ideal for teaching thinking and problem-solving skills. This is because two-way communication tends to support active interaction between the teacher and learners, and between learners (Burns, 2002). Interaction is an important element in effective learning. Learning activities such as role-playing, panel discussions, and small and large group discussions, may also need technology that allows for a two-way communication. Although there has been an over reliance on compressed video to deliver interactive learning, careful planning is increasingly accommodating effective interactive activities in online instruction as well (DeNigris & Witchel, 2000). Online collaboration is greatly enhanced when instructors take the time to build trust with learners and between learners. It is also essential to provide the necessary support before assigning tasks and project (Hasler-Waters & Napier, 2002). Many learners will not actively collaborate unless they have some technical proficiency with the instructional technologies in use.

The availability of a wide array of instructional technologies might continue to support a large number of people accessing educational programs through distance learning. It was therefore, necessary to examine the perceptions held by administrators toward this kind of learning. Historically, distance learning encountered many challenges including weak institutional support that frequently swayed negatively the implementation process of such educational programs (Wolcott, 1997). In addition, records indicated that while students and faculty appeared ready for the radical change that was taking place in the learning environments, institutional leaders exhibited indifference that could further complicate the process of creating conducive environments for the immerging learning tools, instructional approaches, and educational belief systems (Barone & Hagner, 2001).

METHODOLOGY

The population for this study was a central administrator and one distance education administrator from each of the 67 Land Grant institutions in the US. Central academic administrators held administrative positions such as Provost, Associate Provost, Vice President, and Vice Chancellor in charge of academic affairs or the equivalent. Distance education administrators held titles such as the Dean, Director, and Coordinator of distance education programs. It was essential to examine administrators" perceptions because they are responsible for making decisions that might influence distance learning.

A questionnaire designed to allow participants the opportunity to provide objective information and opinions was mailed to 134 administrators. An extensive literature review from related studies yielded the items included in the questionnaire. A pretest was necessary to test for content validity and the level of ambiguity. Item reliability was not performed. Along with descriptive analysis, a chi-square test (p=. 05) determined the significance of the differences in perceptions between the two levels of administrators. A content analysis of the open-ended questions was conducted to find common themes as recommended by Bogdan and Biklen (1992). A total of 75% (51 central and 49 distance education administrators) of the questionnaires were returned. The following is a question-by-question analysis of items included in the questionnaire pertaining to this article.

What is your personal definition of distance education?

Provided definitions appeared to parallel the delivery mode(s) that was available in each of the institutions. Some administrators defined distance learning as the ability to access learning opportunities through a variety of means regardless of location. In this respect, an overwhelming 94%, (n=94) of administrators indicated a heavy reliance on a variety of instructional technologies to facilitate distance education access. The technologies used ranged from simple to sophisticated ones including computers, compressed video, and virtual classrooms. As a result, numerous in-home learning programs run by different academic departments were available for both degree and certificate seeking learners as well as non-credit seekers.

Other definitions provided included educational opportunities for place bound learners and structured learning taking place while students and instructors are separated by time and/or space. A thematic analysis resulted in the following four main definitions: (a) the use of technology to deliver educational opportunities to instructional sites away from the main campus; (b) the use of a variety of means to access educational opportunities regardless of location; (c) teacher and learner separation in space and time; and (d) off-campus access to educational resources. Nonetheless, administrators appeared to prefer learning that is delivered through computer technology because of its capability to accommodate several learning and instructional resources at once. Along with the regular computer tasks, for example, CD-ROM, electronic bulletin boards, and electronic mail, this technology is enabling many colleges to establish compressed video and virtual classrooms.

Virtual classrooms are advanced delivery modes that fully immerse faculty and students in a computer-generated, real-time, three-dimensional virtual learning environment. While in this environment, learners and instructors have the ability to interact almost the same way as in a traditional classroom (Chiou, 1995). Administrators credited the availability of many advanced technologies with the luxury that learners now have to choose a delivery mode that would effectively support their natural learning preference or style.

What support services exist for distance education in your institutions and how important are these services?

Numerous support services exist for distance learning although a significant difference was noted between administrators' perceptions concerning the availability of technology-ready classrooms (p= .035), facilities that are easy to locate (p=. 015), and faculty help with preparing (p= .008) and distributing instructional materials (p= .003) as data in the following table show.

An examination of the number of administrators responding to the items that showed significant differences revealed that more central academic administrators than distance education administrators (80% to 57%) reported their institutions had facilities that were easy to locate and that faculty received training with new technology (76% to 72%). Meanwhile, 88% of distance education administrators reported lack of technology ready classrooms compared to 71% of central administrators. Weigel (2002) challenged institutions to provide frequent training and adequate support to faculty because technological information is doubling every five years. He cautioned that institutions that fail to provide technical support could easily become redundant.

Commenting on the importance of providing facilities that are easy to locate, Hiemstra and Sisco (1990) identified the inability to locate a learning facility as one of the anxiety-builders for many returning adult learners. Because the current trend clearly indicates an increasing number of nontraditional learners enrolling in educational opportunities to fulfill a growing demand for continuing professional development and training (Ryan et al., 2000), institutions should seriously consider Hiemstra and Sisco's caution. An increasing number of institutions today are addressing the expanding educational demands by organizing weekend meetings at selected facilities/sites. A conscious effort to schedule such educational meetings in facilities that are easy to locate is recommended to minimize associated learner anxiety. Meanwhile, data showed a possible positive relationship between administrator responses concerning the available support services and the importance they attached to those services.

Administrators were likely to identify as very important or somehow important, many of the support services they reported as being available in their respective institutions, as is evident in the following data.

How important is distance learning to the future of your institution?

When asked about the importance of distance education to institutional survival, a vast majority (81%, n= 81) reported that it was very important, perhaps explaining the reasons for such a high availability of support services. Nevertheless, distance teaching in many institutions was still an added responsibility to faculty's regular semester load.

In your institution, is distance teaching part of faculty basic assignment, extra to faculty teaching load, on volunteer basis or depends on individual department or college?

While 75% of the central administrators reported that distance teaching was part of faculty's semester load, 45% of distance education administrators said it was an additional load. A significant difference (p=. 003) in perception was noted, although 77% of administrators reported that individual departments and colleges played a major role in determining the nature of faculty participation. Overall though, distance teaching required occasional overnight faculty travel but additional pay was available for the involved faculty. Likewise, many institutions offered tenure and promotion points, money to pay for travel, desired instructional equipment, and graduate assistants (G.As.). In other colleges, an opportunity to teach new students, merit pay, grant writing, broadened experience, and marketability were considered extra rewards for distance education faculty.

Although data indicated that distance teaching was pretty much extra to faculty assignment in a semester, this reality is rapidly changing as an increasing number of institutions become global learning centers with the help of existing electronic technologies (Weigel, 2002). Indeed, faculty and students have long constructed new paradigms that considered distance learning "equal" to traditional on-campus educational experiences. Barone and Hagner (2001) therefore, challenged institutions and administrators to quickly follow suit. It is critical for all institutions to consider distance teaching part of the faculty's load in a semester otherwise it might be problematic for instructors to secure enough time to gather the desired skills and knowledge in a rapidly changing field of instructional technologies. Nevertheless, because 72% of administrators indicated that it was important for faculty to have training in new technology, there is a high possibility that they would implement measures that would support faculty needs.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Data from this study overwhelmingly identified modern instructional technology, especially the electronic-based type, as an important delivery mode. In addition, a variety of support services exist, a valuable finding considering that earlier studies reported minimal institutional support. Providing support services is consistent with the recommendation of Motivation-Hygiene Theory. This Theory recommends that workers be adequately supported as a non-supportive work environment could easily lead to poor work performance (Herzberg, 1966).

A significant difference in perception existed between the central and distance education administrators concerning the availability of technology-ready classrooms, facilities that are easy to locate, and instructor help with preparing and distributing instructional materials. Meanwhile, administrators reported faculty training with new technology and availability of technical assistance as continuing challenges. However, because data in this study was acquired through self-reporting, it is prudent to be cautious.

The Self-Perception Theory recommends caution while drawing conclusions from data gathered through self-reporting. Self-reporting is not always accurate. What people report as self-knowledge, may not necessarily be so. Self-knowledge or awareness may be simply a report of external cues such as what one has heard from other people. Thus, what is reported as self-knowledge (awareness) may not necessarily be what one knows. In addition, pre-established attitudes also tend to influence self-knowledge. For example, a person in a position that requires compliance is likely to behave in a conforming manner and vice versa. Self-knowledge also is significantly influenced by other factors such as monetary gains and status (Allport, 1955 & Bern, 1970). Nonetheless, the following conclusions were reached.

Based on the perceptions of the central and distance education administrators in this study, institutions are increasingly relying on modern electronic instructional technologies to deliver educational opportunities to remote learning sites away from, and at the main institutions. As a result, many learners are now able to access learning opportunities that they would not access otherwise. Some of the benefiting learners are paraprofessional educators struggling to ensure compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Faced with the reality of increased learner enrollment in technology-assisted distance learning, it is critical for administrators in institutions of higher learning to develop favorable perceptions towards distance learning. They should also facilitate the mainstreaming of distance learning. The process of mainstreaming distance learning should be informed by Barone and Hagner's (2001) recommendation for institutions and administrators to quickly elevate distance learning to the same status as traditional face-to-face oncampus learning. Mainstreaming distance learning will possibly allow institutions to appropriate the necessary supportive resources. Data in this study showed a general lack of faculty whose primary assignment in a semester was distance teaching. Faculty whose primary responsibility was distance teaching would be in a position to gather the necessary skills and knowledge about the rapidly changing field of instructional technologies. Indeed, faculty lack of skills in new technologies was identified as a persistent issue in this study.

Although distance learning is supported in a variety of ways, instructor training with new technology, availability of technical assistance, and provision of instructional facilities that are easy to locate continue to be areas of contention. An additional area of conflict is in the fact that distance teaching is an added responsibility. However, because administrators view distance learning as very important to the institutional survival, there is hope that the future for distance education is bright. Meanwhile, the prominence of technology in distance learning might continue to provide an ideal market for advanced instructional technologies. Indeed, with the prevailing rapid development of new technologies, institutions always may have a need for new technologies and the associated training.

Table 1. Available Support Services

Service                                  Chi-Square    DF    Signi-
                                         Value               ficance

Student registration                     2.156         1     .142
Student advising                         3.445         1     .063
Scheduling                               3.147         1     .076
Facilities that are easy to locate       5.933         1     .015
Technology ready classrooms              5.439         1     .035
Classroom scheduling                     3.445         1     .063
Technical assistance for instructors     1.265         1     .261
On-site copying services                 0.331         1     .565
Graduate Assistant (G.A.)                0.123         1     .726
Support with instructional design        2.226         1     .136
Instructional materials                  6.989         1     .008
Distribution of course materials         8.992         1     .003
Clerical services                        1.921         1     .166
Instructor training with new
technology                               3.102         1     .078
Travel arrangement such as boarding
& lodging when necessary                 1.921         1     .166

Table 2. Importance of Available Support Services

Services                                    Avail-      Not
                                             able     Available

Student registration                          82         18
Student advising                              71         29
Scheduling                                    67         33
Facilities that are easy to locate            68         32
Technology ready classrooms                   79         21
Classroom scheduling                          71         29
Technical assistance for instructors          79         21
On-site copying services                      42         58
Graduate Assistant (G. A.)                    31         69
Support with instructional design             62         38
Instructional materials                       56         44
Distribution of course materials              65         35
Clerical services                             42         58
Instructor training with new Technology       76         24
Travel arrangements such as transport,
boarding & lodging when necessary             42         58

Services                                      VI         SN        NR

Student registration                          89          7         4
Student advising                              70         19        11
Scheduling                                    64         21        13
Facilities that are easy to locate            47         39        14
Technology ready classrooms                   76         16         8
Classroom scheduling                          62         27        11
Technical assistance for instructors          73         20         7
On-site copying services                      17         51        32
Graduate Assistant (G. A.)                    14         52        34
Support with instructional design             55         26        19
Instructional materials                       49         26        25
Distribution of course materials              65         17        18
Clerical services                             25         44        31
Instructor training with new Technology       72         19         9
Travel arrangements such as transport,
boarding & lodging when necessary             21         48        31

(VI = Very Important, SN = Somehow Important, NR = No Response)

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JOHN KAMBUTU, UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING/CASPER CENTER, USA E-MAIL: [e-mail]