ACSDE Mission and Goals

The global educational context is changing rapidly. Societies, institutions, and programs must make significant decisions that will allow them to influence or shape these changes, rather than merely being shaped by them. Intentional, planned, and thoughtful responses depend on the availability of sufficient actionable information and knowledge, however. The American Center for the Study of Distance Education was established to provide such knowledge to distance education practitioners and decision-makers in a variety of educational contexts.

The research and practice experience of a network of academic and professional staff members provides the basis for services by which ACSDE fulfills its mission to support educators in meeting the challenges of a new educational environment. Specific areas of focus are research and evaluation, improvement of professional practice, and support of graduate study.

Research and Evaluation. Distance education, particularly in its most recent form—online education—is being integrated into even the most cautious and conservative of educational institutions. Yet the impact of these alternative forms of teaching and learning on students, faculty, and institutions has yet to be broadly or deeply studied. ACSDE contributes to the knowledge base on the impact and value of new forms of teaching and learning through empirical research and evaluation studies that focus on a variety of areas including student outcomes, faculty outcomes, institutional impact and change management, and quality control.

Improvement of Professional Practice. Many faculty members and other professional educational staff are being challenged to develop new skills and knowledge necessary for success in managing or teaching in technology-based educational environments. ACSDE helps educators meet this challenge by providing resources and development activities focused on effective practices in a variety of contexts.

Support of Graduate Study. By providing research and practice-based experiences for graduate students ACSDE contributes to the formation of the next generation of educational leaders.

ACSDE History

Penn State’s American Center for the Study of Distance Education (ACSDE) was founded by internationally recognized distance education expert Michael Grahame Moore in 1986 as the first center of its kind in the United States. Distance education as an area of research and practice, although long recognized as an important aspect of the educational system in other parts of the world, was at this point in American education of interest to only a small group of educators dedicated to extending educational access to un-served or under-served populations of students.

Within traditional institutions, serving non-traditional students was generally viewed as ancillary to the core institutional mission. Similarly, associations and organizations representing professional educators were not focused on, indeed in many cases were not aware of, the activities and contributions of their distance education colleagues. As a result, distance educators received little institutional recognition and support and had few opportunities and channels for sharing their experiences as they worked to build theory and improve practice related to distance education.

The ACSDE was established to fill this gap. Almost immediately it emerged as a hub of activities for supporting the professional development and networking of distance education scholars and practitioners. Through establishment of The American Journal of Distance Education, development of DEOS, the offering of conferences and institutes, and publication of research monographs and other materials, ASCDE became a recognized clearinghouse for information and research about distance education in the Americas and a facilitator for communication among distance educators nationally and internationally.

Today, distance education is no longer on the margins of the educational system or educators’ consciousness. It is no longer primarily an alternative for nontraditional students, but is being incorporated into programs serving traditional campus-based students, as well. As a result, the need for information about and services related to distance education has increased dramatically.

As the educational environment has changed, so has the ACSDE. The American Journal of Distance Education is no longer published through the ACSDE, but new activities and services have been added and others have been extended. Dr. Moore retired as director of ACSDE in 2001; the Center is currently under the directorship of Melody M. Thompson.

As distance education in all its forms, but most particularly in the form of online education, moves from the shallows to the educational mainstream, the American Center for the Study of Distance Education will continue its contribution to the educational community through an expanded commitment to conducting research, providing consulting and evaluation services, and disseminating knowledge about distance education through publications and professional development activities.