NUR 649E Week 5 Assignment Distance Education Learning
NUR 649E Week 5 Assignment Distance Education Learning
NUR 649E Week 5 Assignment Distance Education Learning
Describe an issue that impacts distance-education learning. The selected issue can be a faculty issue, student issue, or administrative issue. Examine the issue and its significance to distance education.
Despite the promises and obvious advantages to distance learning, there are problems that need to be resolved. These problems include the quality of instruction, hidden costs, misuse of technology, and the attitudes of instructors, students, and administrators. Each one of these has an effect on the overall quality of distance learning as a product. In many ways, each of these issues relates to the others. We will examine each of these issues separately.
Quality of Instruction
The first issue is the quality of instruction that is given through distance learning programs. Much of the quality of instruction depends on the attitude of the administration and the instructor. Data collected in a 1999 study by Elliot Inman and Michael Kerwin showed instructors had conflicting attitudes about teaching distance education. They report that after teaching one course, the majority of instructors were willing to teach another, but that they rated the quality of the course as only equal or lower quality than other classes taught on campus. Many times it seems that the administration believes the technology itself will improve the quality of the class. Palloff and Pratt (2000) remind us that “ technology does not teach students; effective teachers do”(pg. 4). They make the point that the issue is not technology itself, but how it is used in the design and delivery of courses. Too often instructors do not design their lessons to take advantage of the technology presented. This affects the quality of the instruction. Research suggests that the effectiveness of distance learning is based on preparation, the instructor’s understanding of the needs of the students, and an understanding of the target population (Omoregie, 1997). Sherritt (1996) found in her survey of higher education administrators that many of the decision makers view distance programs as second rate, a “ necessary but deficient form of education” (pg.2). She writes that this attitude also was found in academic departments that “ have no strong mandates to adjust their curriculum and instruction to fit distance learning beyond cursory cooperation” (pg. 2). There are no rewards for doing so and the effort takes away from research time. Sherrit also cites a study by Caffarella et al. done in 1992, which found off campus instructors to be “ a demoralized bunch, perceiving poor working conditions, isolation, personal and professional deprivation” (pg.3). This attitude hardly seems conducive to an effective learning environment for the students. If the administration and instructors are lacking in true commitment, it is bound to have a negative influence on the entire distance learning experience.
Cost Effectiveness
The second issue is the true cost and the cost effectiveness of distance learning programs. Are they actually cost efficient? A study by Phelps et al. (1991) found that “ the potential cost-effectiveness of using online technologies in distance education is still uncertain” (pg. 303). The study further showed that the concepts of costs and effectiveness are not as simple as they first appear. Atkinson (1983, cited in Ng, 2000) notes, “ it is possible for a program to be efficient but not cost effective if the outputs which are actually produced do not contribute to the program objectives: that is it may be efficient at doing the wrong things” (pg. 306). Ng also comments on the cost of human capital. He states, “ Human capital and the costs of conversion are expenses that can easily be underestimated” (pg. 306). Ng notes that the cost of online courses is affected by how they are implemented: as an enhancement or as the primary teaching medium. If it is implemented as a primary teaching medium, it is considerably more expensive. The teaching purpose of the different approaches needs to be taken into account. If this is not factored in by administration, there may be costs that are not apparent at first glance. Caffarella et al. (1992) found in a study at the University of Northern Colorado that when electronic distance delivery costs were compared with those of instructor travel directly to the site, the least costly alternative was the live instruction with the instructor traveling to the remote site compressing the class into fewer weeks. This alternative was one-third the cost of any other alternative. Starting a compressed video distance-learning program is not cheap. Southern Arkansas University-Magnolia decided to try compressed video as an alternative to other methods. The startup equipment for the unit was approximately $80,000. Establishment of a permanent T-1 telephone line was another $1,200 per month (Weber, 1996). These costs are startup only and do not reflect any of the human capital costs as discussed earlier. Carr (2001) discusses a report by the California State University System that looked at cost savings in distance learning programs. The report found that only in really large courses with many sections would cost savings be possible. Courses in excess of 500 students would benefit from this setup, while it was still more cost effective to teach smaller groups in a traditional setting. The startup costs, maintenance costs, and personnel costs should also be factored in to arrive at a true cost for a distance-learning program. The minimum number of staff required for delivery of a compressed video class would be one instructor and two technicians, one at each site. This means a minimum of three people is needed to deliver the same class as one instructor does in a traditional setting. The costs associated with training technicians and instructors should not be overlooked. For effective distance education to take place, the staff delivering the instruction should be well trained.
Misuse of Technology
Besides the cost of the technology, there is the possibility of not utilizing all its potential. Some of these problems arise from a lack of training, some from the instructor’s attitudes about using the technology, and still others by hardware problems. It seems to be self evident that instructors need to be trained to use distance learning technology, but too often they are not. Once again, it appears that administration may feel that the technology itself will improve the course. Advancement in technology does not lead to effective distance education. The best distance education practices depend on creative, well-informed instructors (Greenberg, 1998). Bates (1995) suggests that newer technologies are not inherently better than old ones and many of the lessons learned from the application of older technologies will still apply to any newer technology. Again, the instructor should be trained to take advantage of both their experience and being able to adapt that experience to the new environment of distance learning. The instructors must be trained “ not only to use technology, but also to shift the way in which they organize and deliver material” (Palloff & Pratt, 2000, pg. 3).
Assume that you are in a leadership position for the development of either nursing or patient education. Propose strategies on how your organization can meet challenges posed by the issue you selected in order to continue providing quality distance-education learning. Support your proposal by incorporating evidence-based literature and relevant professional standards.
This assignment may be completed in one of the formats (with quantitative criteria) listed below (Note: You must select a format different than the format you submitted for the Topic 3 assignment):
APA-formatted paper (1,000-1,250 words)
PowerPoint presentation with comprehensive speakers’ notes (12-15 slides)
Podcast (10-15 minutes)
Blog or Web page (1,000-1,250 words)
Any other technology application as approved by the instructor
In addition to the course materials, you are required to use a minimum of three current scholarly, evidence-based, peer-reviewed resources (less than 5 years old).
APA format is required for essays only. Solid academic writing is always expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.