DEOSNEWS Vol. 7 No. 12, ISSN 1062-9416.

Copyright 1997 DEOS - The Distance Education Online Symposium.

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ACSDE RESEARCH MONOGRAPH, NO. 10

INTERNATIONALISM IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: A VISION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

These revised papers from the International Distance Education Conference held at The Pennsylvania State University in June 1994 focus on the practice of teaching and learning across national borders. The papers of twenty-two authors representing nine different countries discuss the techniques of successful international distance instruction, the challenges of administration, the development of policy, and the problems and potentials of accelerating exchanges between different cultures around the world. This monograph is edited by Melody M. Thompson, with an introduction by Michael G. Moore.

Author(s): Elizabeth C. Thach and Karen L. Murphy

Title: COLLABORATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: FROM LOCAL TO INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 5-20

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): A. W. Bates

Title: THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY IN INTERNATIONALIZING DISTANCE EDUCATION

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 21-29

Abstract

This paper argues that there are now no serious technological barriers to the international delivery and reception of distance education, not just in North America, but worldwide. Even cultural diversity is not a major barrier, although cultural diversities and cultural imperialism are critical issues that need to be addressed. The major barriers are the difficulty of matching educational provision to the needs of learners across international boundaries; the need for seed money to enable institutions to make international contacts and conduct market research locally to define needs; and, above all, the conservatism and lack of training of faculty in using technology for instruction.

Author(s): Ian Mugridge

Title: THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF DISTANCE EDUCATION: SOME ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 30-38

Abstract

Inter-institutional collaboration has become a prominent feature of the distance education environment. Although collaboration on an international level can result in great benefits to students and institutions, careful planning and monitoring is necessary to ensure that cooperative activities will be successful. The appropriate management of cooperative arrangements, the transfer of materials and techniques, provisions for credit transfer, and the assurance of quality will depend on the development of administrative attitudes and structures that will both allow and facilitate international collaborative arrangements.

Author(s): Armando Rocha Trindade

Title: GLOBALIZATION OF DISTANCE EDUCATION: SETTING A TRANS-ATLANTIC POLICY FOR COLLABORATION

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 39-44

Abstract

Distance teaching universities represent a special case within European higher education. Their modern technology-based teaching methods and commitment to democratization of educational opportunities set them apart and expose them to suspicion from more conservative and "elitist" institutions within their own countries. Additionally, differences in language and culture, deviations in course objectives and content, credibility of evaluation methods, etc. present formidable barriers to international cooperation. This article discusses how overcoming both internal and external barriers to collaboration will depend on lengthy negotiations and delicate diplomacy; experience has shown that such negotiations will be more likely to succeed if they are carried on at the institutional rather than governmental level.

Author(s): Ulrich Bernath

Title: DISTANCE EDUCATION IN MAINSTREAM HIGHER EDUCATION: A STRATEGIC ISSUE FOR CENTRAL RESOURCE AND DEVELOPING UNITS AT CONVENTIONAL UNIVERSITIES

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 45-51

Abstract

Combining distance education, with its open and flexible approach to teaching and learning, and conventional education, with its research and teaching expertise, has the potential to greatly benefit students and institutions. However, organizational and structural changes will be needed before the two approaches to education can be effectively integrated. Issues of faculty development, student support, application of new technologies, funding, and program and curriculum development will need to be addressed by specialists working in teams and will need to be supported and encouraged by competent institutional leadership. Although this integration is developing in different ways within different European educational institutions, participants in the European Open University Network are working together to give a global dimension to distance and open learning and to ensure quality in an international context.

Author(s): Alan Tait

Title: FROM A DOMESTIC TO AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY UK AND EUROPE

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 52-65

Abstract

This article describes the change of the Open University UK (OU UK) in the period 1990&endash;1993 from a domestic to an international organization. This discussion of the OU's expansion throughout the whole of the European Union (EU) and a range of other European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Rumania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland) raises issues about the development of universities from the unique organizations that they have been in European society into international organizations that understand their role in business terms. It is suggested that distance teaching universities, because of their industrialized nature and volume of activity, may become leaders of this trend.

Author(s): Nicholaas Pronk

Title: THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF DISTANCE TEACHING UNIVERSITIES (EADTU)

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 66-73

Abstract

The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities includes member organizations in seventeen countries and represents over 150 higher education institutions and 875 study centers. The European Open University network, created by EADTU, is an inter-institutional distance education network designed to function as a distance education clearinghouse, support the concept of EuroStudyCentres (a subsystem of the existing study centers of EADTU members), and provide a framework for quality assurance, assessment, and certification. The focus of this article is on the second function, developing the concept of EuroStudy Centres.

Author(s): Peter Kinyanjui

Title: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN AFRICAN DISTANCE EDUCATION

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 74-84

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of recent developments in distance education in Africa. It examines current practices, issues, and developments in the application of educational and associated communications technologies in higher education. Special emphasis is placed on on-going collaborative activities that are forming a network of organizations, institutions, and individuals dedicated to distance education for human resource development. This paper provides examples of cooperation in the exchange of information, materials, and expertise; in the training of distance educators; in the application of modern technologies; and in the conduct of research and evaluation.

Author(s): Daniel Granger and Kate Gulliver

Title: DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT: QUALITY ASSURANCE IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 85-96

Abstract

A focus on workforce development seems to be almost universal in the development of open and distance learning within different countries. Although the goals of realizing the potential of distance education for this purpose are being met in different ways in different parts of the world, development seems to be motivated by a common concern for three issues: access and equity of opportunity; quality; and "fit" or appropriateness within the larger social context. An additional concern is the need for a spirit of cooperation and collaboration that will allow effective responses to the various stakeholders in any distance education environment. This article describes the various ways in which distance education is organized and managed, discusses these three common issues, and recommends new approaches to defining and ensuring high-quality programs.

Author(s): Parker Rossman

Title: COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE AND TEAMWORK: SOME NEW FACULTY ROLES IN INTERNATIONAL DISTANCE EDUCATION

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 97-106

Abstract

The "virtual international university" may be taking shape as higher education consortia begin to offer on-line electronic courses, lectures, seminars, and sometimes even degrees from one country to another. A less-noticed drive towards international distance education may be seen in "action-research" projects in which students and faculty from many countries collaborate to help solve international issues and problems. The teamwork of "collective intelligence," electronically connecting many minds, can make research possible on a scale never before dreamed of. It suggests new faculty roles in international electronic instruction and research involving inter-disciplinary teamwork in research and teaching, and also international teamwork for political action (as seen, for example, in Amnesty International).

Author(s): Farhad Saba

Title: FROM DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION TO SYSTEMS THINKING: A POST-MODERN ANALYSIS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 107-114

Abstract

Recent worldwide developments have changed the context within which distance education is being developed. Globalization of telecommunication technology, the emergence of a multipolar world organization, and the influence of the "development communication" model argue for a postmodern, dynamic systems paradigm for conceptualizing and implementing distance education. In this article, the components of such a system are described and recent research presented. Additionally, issues on which the realization of an international systems model of educational communication depend are discussed.

Author(s): Mauri Collins and Zane Berge

Title: STUDENT EVALUATION OF COMPUTER CONFERENCING IN A (PRIMARILY) AUDIOCONFERENCING DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 115-129

Abstract

Many educators measure quality in education by the degree of interaction among students and between students and the instructor. New educational technology has made various forms of interaction available to distant learners and educators. Computer-mediated communication can be used alone or in combination with other media to deliver distance education effectively and enjoyably. This paper reports an exploratory study of the use of a computer conferencing discussion group as an adjunct to a distance education course taught primarily by audioconferencing to groups in the United States, Mexico, and Finland. The most surprising finding from this survey is the number of similarities between the three national groups. However, significant differences were found in the frequency of reading electronic mail, levels of comfort with reading text on-screen, and in the difficulty of using English for e-mail communication.

Author(s): Michel Umbriaco and Danielle Paquette

Title: COURSES AND GRADUATE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT IN DENAID (DISTANCE EDUCATION, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT)

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 130-141

Abstract

Responses to a survey conducted in the fall of 1993 by Télé-université (Université de Québec) revealed an overwhelming consensus on the need for an internationally available graduate program for the training of distance educators. The resulting project, "Distance Education, National and International Development" (DENAID), targets students from Francophone and Hispanic cultures and is based on the principle that distance education should be used to enhance individual, as well as the social, cultural, and economic development of persons and communities. The authors describe the program and discuss the challenges to distance education in terms of national and international development.

Author(s): Judith M. Roberts

Title: CROSS-CULTURAL AND INTERNATIONAL REFLECTIONS: FRANCOPHONE, ABORIGINAL, AND IMMIGRANT DISTANCE LEARNERS IN CANADA

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 142-162

Abstract

A recent review of the impact of communications and information technology on postsecondary education in Canada alluded to Aboriginal, Francophone, and immigrant experiences (CMEC 1993). Further reflection and analysis should be focused on those three groups. The pace at which trends such as credit transfer, collaboration, specialization, and definition of training standards will affect the use of technology by minority group learners is difficult to predict. However, Canada's Francophone and Aboriginal communities possess a depth of experience and expertise in the applications of technology to distance education and open learning which ensures that future changes will benefit from strong knowledge and technology infrastructures. This paper was designed to facilitate a comparison of issues critical to majority and minority groups. Written from the majority perspective, it needs to be complemented by papers that reverse the conceptual process and begin from a minority group focus.

Author(s): Jose Manuel Alvarez Manilla

Title: THE DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO (UNAM)

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 163-168

Abstract

The organization of a distance education program at the National Autonomus University of Mexico ( UNAM), an institution over four hundred years old, will help us to answer to needs relating to lifelong learning, higher education as a second chance, education for adults unable to attend the regular courses to finish their studies, access for populations in remote locations, and continuing education for faculty at remote campuses. This program confronts barriers such as traditional structures, rapid technological change, and the didactics of mediated instruction.. It is now technically possible to provide education on a large scale; however, realizing this goal depend on attention to certain issues: research, infrastructure, development, training in delivery procedures, and organizational change. This paper describes some of the changes UNAM is making to develop distance education programs for lifelong learning.

Author(s): Rodolfo Herrero Ricaño and Hector Barron Soto

Title: THE QUALITY OF OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION IN MEXICO

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 169-171

Abstract

Since 1947, distance education in Mexico has played an important role for nonconventional populations. Considering that distance education is a heterogeneous and dynamic field, it is important to reflect on the need to improve quality as measured by our own standards. With that perspective in mind, a national meeting was organized to initiate a self diagnosis in which quality and access were the main concerns. Over 500 specialists from fifty-one institutions participated in a national interactive synchronous meeting held in four regions. As a result of the meeting, thirty-five criteria and 230 parameters of quality were established. The main conclusion of the meeting refers to the need for the elaboration of our own indicators of success for open and distance education.

Author(s): Yolanda Gayol

Title: THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN THE INTEGRATION OF DISTANCE EDUCATION: THE MEXICAN PERSPECTIVE

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 173-186

Abstract

This paper is organized in three parts. The first part presents an overview of different types of open and distance education developed in Mexico and of the recent trend to organize a common policy in higher education for what is now called the North American Region (Canada, the United States, and Mexico). The second part describes some of the cultural misperceptions in the U.S. and Mexico that make openness and wider educational cooperation difficult. Finally, the cultural issues that need to be shared, changed, or retained in order to overcome the educational barriers to cooperation are examined.

Author(s): Michael G. Moore

Title: IS THERE A CULTURAL PROBLEM IN INTERNATIONAL DISTANCE EDUCATION?

Publ: Research Monograph No. 10, American Center for the Study of Distance Education

Publ Year: l996

Pages: 187-194

Abstract

Distance educators need to reflect on the consequences of participating in international programs. Western educators export values along with educational content, often to the detriment of the international recipients. Problems relating to educational intervention include maintaining a balance between freedom and control and an uncritical propagation of consumerism and philistinism thorough the adoption of mass-media marketing technologies for educational delivery. Programs should be sensitive to the values of other cultures and designed to provide U.S. students with the opportunity to listen to and learn from their foreign peers.

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