Vol 4.11 DEOSNEWS

DEOSNEWS Vol. 4 No.12 ISSN 1062-9416.
Copyright 1994 DEOS.

Director of ACSDE and Editor of AJDE: Dr. Michael G. Moore.
DEOSNEWS Editor: Melody M. Thompson

DEOS was established with a grant from the Annenberg/CPB Project.

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Volume 8

THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

VOLUME 8 NO. 1 - 1994

Author(s): John F. LeBaron and Charles A. Bragg
Title: PRACTICING WHAT WE PREACH: CREATING DISTANCE EDUCATION MODELS TO PREPARE
TEACHERS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 1
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 5-19
Abstact: Americans are urging a major transformation of the public schools.
Many schools are responding by integrating technology throughout their whole
structure. Pre-service teacher education is not keeping pace with these
changes. By the year 2000, the majority of an aging teacher workforce will
have retired or resigned, creating a window of opportunity for technology
leadership in teacher education. Distance education can help educators seize
this opportunity. By infusing distance education strategies into the whole
fabric of pre-service instruction, teacher educators can design constructivist
pedagogical models for students to emulate in their own subsequent teaching.
Using a judicious combination of interactive technologies, faculty members can
develop and direct student-centered, problem-oriented activities for students
at remote sites. The failure of teacher preparation institutions to reform
their curricula in response to and in anticipation of changes occurring in
schools may render them irrelevant to the educational transformations predicted
for the coming decade.

Author(s): Marie A. Kascus
Title: WHAT LIBRARY SCHOOLS TEACH ABOUT LIBRARY
SUPPORT TO DISTANT STUDENTS: A SURVEY
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 1
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 20-35
Abstract: This study examined the extent to which the topic of library support for
off-campus and distance education programs is represented in the curriculum of
schools of library and information science and the attitudes of library school
deans and directors regarding the issues and problems associated with these programs.
A questionnaire was mailed to deans and directors of all American Library
Association-accredited library schools in the United States and Canada. Of the
fifty-nine questionnaires distributed, thirty-nine were completed and returned.
Findings from the survey provide baseline data on the current level of commitment
to coursework on library support for off-campus and distance education programs,
and indicate that the topic is minimally represented and of a low priority for
most deans and directors of library schools.

Author(s): Farhad Saba and Rick L. Shearer
Title: VERIFYING KEY THEORETICAL CONCEPTS IN A
DYNAMIC MODEL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 1
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 36-59
Abstract: Theory driven, data-based, and empirical studies are needed to verify and
solidify distance education's conceptual foundation. The project reported here had
two main goals: 1) to empirically verify the concepts of transactional distance,
structure, and dialogue, and 2) to develop a methodology for achieving the first
goal. Drawing on three different fields--distance education, system dynamics, and
discourse analysis--the project measured nine key variables in distance education.
Results suggest that transactional distance varies by the rate of dialogue and
structure, and demonstrate the value of system dynamics modeling for verifying
theoretical concepts in distance education.

Author(s): Paul M. Biner, Raymond S. Dean, and Anthony E. Mellinger
Title: FACTORS UNDERLYING DISTANCE LEARNER
SATISFACTION WITH TELEVISED COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 1
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 60-71
Abstract: Two investigations were conducted to identify the major dimensions of distance
learner satisfaction with live-broadcast, interactive (one-way video, two-way audio)
televised college-level courses. In the first study, factor analyses were used to explore
the responses of 201 currently enrolled students to the Telecourse Evaluation Questionnaire.
The analyses identified seven distinct dimensions of course satisfaction. A comparable
study was conducted one year later using a different sample of 177 distance learners who
were also enrolled in the televised courses. A factor analysis of these data validated the
original results in that, as predicted, seven comparable dimensions were identified. Overall
results are discussed in terms of the practical benefits the research offers to both program
personnel and evaluation researchers.

VOLUME 8 NO. 2 - 1994

Author(s): Ellen D. Wagner
Title: IN SUPPORT OF A FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION OF INTERACTION
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 2
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 6-29
Abstract: A common theme in the distance education literature is that delivery technologies with
the potential for real-time interactivity will improve both the image and practice of distance
education. Although there appears to be a growing acceptance of a causal relationship between
system interactivity and instructional interaction, neither concept has been clearly or
functionally defined. This article discusses several systems models and relates them to the
contexts of instructional delivery, instructional design, instructional theory, and learning
theory in an attempt to establish conceptual parameters for the function of interaction.

Author(s): Daniel C. A. Hillman, Deborah J. Willis, and Charlotte N. Gunawardena
Title: LEARNER-INTERFACE INTERACTION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: AN EXTENSION OF CONTEMPORARY
MODELS AND STRATEGIES FOR PRACTITIONERS
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 2
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 30-42
Abstract: Most treatments of the concept of interaction in distance education have been based on
Moore’s (1989) discussion of three types of interaction: learner-content, learner-instructor, and
learner-learner. However, these previous discussions have failed to consider the interaction that
occurs between the learner and the technologies used to deliver instruction. This article presents
the concept of learner-interface interaction and recommends instructional design strategies that
will facilitate students' acquisition of the skills needed to participate effectively in the
electronic classroom.

Author(s): Frank D. Tallman
Title: SATISFACTION AND COMPLETION IN CORRESPONDENCE STUDY: THE INFLUENCE OF INSTRUCTIONAL AND
STUDENT-SUPPORT SERVICES
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 2
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 43-57
Abstract: Correspondence education can provide college-level instruction that is efficient, economical,
and sensitive to the changing needs of traditional and adult learners. However, to ensure the development
of the educational environment necessary for effective education to occur, providers need to be aware of
factors that contribute to student satisfaction and persistence in correspondence education. This article
examines the relationship between student satisfaction and course completion in relation to the provision
and perceived quality of instructional and student-support services.

Author(s): Don Naber and Glenn LeBlanc
Title: PROVIDING A HUMAN BIOLOGY LABORATORY FOR DISTANT LEARNERS
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 2
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 58-71
Abstract: This paper describes the development and pilot testing of a human biology laboratory course
delivered over the Education Network of Maine. The project serves as an illustrative case of the general
problem of teaching science laboratory courses at a distance. The development process is described within
the framework of an instructional systems design (ISD) model. The model is described in some detail and
the decisions and actions taken at each stage are outlined to provide a "snapshot" of the course and a
description of the critical issues that were considered at various stages of the development process.
Finally, the development team reflects on the experience and discusses some generally applicable issues
that arise when considering the development of laboratory courses for distance delivery.

VOLUME 8 NO. 3 - 1994

Author(s): Liz Thach and Karen L. Murphy
Title: COLLABORATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: FROM LOCAL TO INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 3
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 5-21
Abstract: This article explores the various levels of collaboration found within distance education contexts.
A continuum reflecting the local to international levels of collaboration is outlined; descriptions of the
components found along the continuum are provided, and the implications for change in higher education
institutions engaged in distance education are explored. Necessary modifications in structure, policies,
reward systems, and instructional skills are identified and discussed.

Author(s): Rudy R. Pugliese
Title: TELECOURSE PERSISTENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 3
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 22-39
Abstract: This study investigated the constructs of loneliness, dyadic communication apprehension, two
dimensions of communication competence, and locus of control as predictors of persistence in telecourses.
A telephone survey was administered to 306 students at a community college in the greater New York area.
None of the independent variables proved significant. Using quartiles of completion, a multiple discriminant
analysis produced a finding barely better than chance for withdrawal and slightly better than chance for
withdrawal/failure. None of the Pearson correlation coefficients proved significant. Implications of the
results are discussed.

Author(s): Allan C. Tagg
Title: LEADERSHIP FROM WITHIN: STUDENT MODERATION OF COMPUTER CONFERENCES
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 3
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 40-50
Abstract: This paper discusses two modifications to the conduct of computer-conference-based master's degree
courses: a maximum length for conference messages was suggested and, more importantly, conference moderators,
or topic leaders, were appointed from among the student cohort. Drawing on previous work on conference
moderation, it is argued that the differing power relationships between student and student and between
instructor and student result in a context in which instructor and student moderators can perform
complementary functions to ensure a more productive conferencing environment.

Author(s): Kathy J. Schmidt, Michael J. Sullivan, and Darcy Walsh Hardy
Title: TEACHING MIGRANT STUDENTS ALGEBRA BY AUDIOCONFERENCE
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 3
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 51-63
Abstract: This article describes a pilot program designed to teach algebra to Texas migrant students via
audioconferencing. Issues related to course development, design, and delivery are discussed. The high class
grade averages and the students' increased ability to communicate mathematically indicate that audioconferencing
is a viable alternative to face-to-face instruction for the teaching of algebra.

Author(s): Helena Ramirez
Title: PROGRAMS AND DROP-OUT IN UNIVERSIDAD
ESTATAL A DISTANCIA (UNED) OF COSTA RICA
Publ: The American Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 8 No. 3
Publ. Year: 1994
Pages: 64-73
Abstract: The Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) of Costa Rica has admitted over 80,000 students in its
seventeen-year history. However, total enrollment figures are an insufficient measure of the institution's
success in achieving its mission of democratizing higher education in Costa Rica. This article examines the
issue of student drop-out in an attempt to determine ways in which UNED can best and most realistically achieve
the end of increased access to higher education.

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