Distance Learning: Position
Position Statement on Distance Learning
Human Anatomy & Physiology Society, Inc.
(Approved 1/15/00)
(Revised 1/19/02)
It is the position of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society that a distance education course should include the following elements.
* There should be multiple content delivery technologies.
Each learner and learning environment is different so no single delivery system
or technology provides a comprehensive experience. Inclusion of textbook, audio,
video, face to face content delivery modalities along with internet delivery
should be considered.
* There should be frequent and varied assessment techniques.
With multiple learning styles the offering of different assessment styles is
important. There should be timely feedback on assessments. Quiz and exam security
should be adequate.
* There should be multiple mode, frequent and ongoing communication.
In addition to synchronous communication modes (phone and face to face), asynchronous
communication modes (including email, electronic discussion, regular mail and
fax) should also be available to promote frequent, meaningful communication.
* There should be clear expectations of student work.
Clear expectations of student work can be achieved with the use of schedules
with dates for assignments along with use of step-by-step directions. Clearly
stated educational objectives allow students to understand the course's educational
requirements. There should be clear identification of required course materials,
in terms of software and hardware. Intellectual rigor should be comparable to
traditional courses.
* There should be active management of student participation.
Without active management student learning could easily fall back to passive
learning modes. Cooperative experiences should be encouraged. There should adequate
guidance and flexibility for student's unique circumstances. While a manageable
class size is dependent on resources, an internet section should have no more
than 20 students.
* There should be comparable student support.
Typical institutional infrastructure such as registration, financial aid, academic
and career counseling, bookstore, records, library, technical support for staff
and students should be equally available to distant and traditional students.
I. Introduction
Distance education defined is a process where student learning occurs at a location
different than the source of instruction. It is understood that this term does
not effectively encompass all of the elements of a modern educational infrastructure,
in fact it may be only one facet of curricular design. Existing courses may
employ distance learning as one aspect of the learning environment and offer
physical or virtual resources remote to the learner. For example, a student
may take a lecture course via the Internet and still physically attend a co-requisite
laboratory. Students may experience lectures via television or video and subsequently
attend a classroom discussion session. These examples indicate the blends of
pedagogical styles and delivery systems.
I I. History
Distance education has been employed using various instructional delivery methods
since the late 1920's and has included correspondence courses (where printed
materials were mailed to remote learners), radio, television, 16 mm films, telephone,
fax and video as the respective technologies were invented. In the last decade,
high technology electronic methods of delivery (email, www, CD- or DVD-ROM)
have further supplemented the list of information delivery methods.
Research comparing the effectiveness of distance education with traditional classroom instruction strongly indicates that there is no significant difference in student performance between students learning in traditional educational courses and those learning in distant educational courses (for a complete listing of available citations go to the following URL: http://teleeducation.nb.ca/nosignificantdifference/). Evidence suggests there is no one best way to deliver educational opportunities; in other words, some students will learn well with a particular delivery method and some will not. It can be inferred that student success will largely depend on their learning style and the pedagogical design of the course.
The Human Anatomy and Physiology Society established a committee to define the ideal properties of distance education courses with the intent to maintain educational integrity and promote constructive dialogue between faculty, course designers, and administrative personnel on issues associated with the development, design and teaching of distance courses.
III. Rationale
The Human Anatomy and Physiology Society's position on distance education is based upon the following:
* The most important factor in education is student learning.
The focus on technology needs to remain secondary to the focus on educational
objectives-and the best ways of achieving them.
* Communication is the key to student success.
Student interaction as well as interaction between students and faculty is necessary
to promote student learning. Evaluation of critical thinking skills and the
resultant learning process require continual assessment and feedback.
* Alternative teaching and learning styles must be considered when designing
the course.
Students have a variety of learning styles which requires the course design
to be varied and flexible. Multiple assessment techniques are required as part
of the course in order to best evaluate student achievement.
* Appropriate delivery methods should be utilized in any course.
The challenge for an instructor, whether the curriculum be of traditional or
distance design, is to determine what educational goals are appropriate for
the course before considering the technological methods (from pencil to Internet
technology levels) needed to achieve them. Despite the popular wave of advanced
technology delivery methods, the selection of technology used in a course should
be primarily based on that technology's effectiveness in conveying a particular
type of information. The advantages of technology, for teaching and learning,
must be carefully identified and captured in the course design.
* The Human Anatomy and Physiology Society endorses the traditional 'wet-lab' or 'hands-on' laboratory experience. Laboratory courses involve the use of the scientific method, authentic human and animal-based kinesthetic 'hands-on' discovery, collaborative explorations with unpredictable outcomes and opportunities for honing observational skills. The Society supports those laboratory curricula that include substantial amounts of these attributes.
* Some laboratory experiences may be delivered by distance education courses. Science instruction ranges from concrete experience to theoretical abstraction and the type of information should determine which delivery method is most appropriate. While HAPS recognizes the importance of simulations in augmenting learning, the Society sees the 'wet lab' or 'hands-on' experience as essential. Other concrete or more 'hands-on' experiences, may need to be supervised to be safe and effective. Some 'hands-on' laboratory experiences can be appropriately delivered in remote locations by using cooperative, distant educational or professional facilities (other colleges, health care offices, etc.). An additional method of delivery may involve the use of mailing science laboratory kits to distant students.
* Distance education can provide opportunities for educational enhancement.
A traditional course re-designed as a distance course can provide the opportunity
to re-evaluate the presentation of major concepts and examine the efficacy of
each course component, thereby promoting better delivery and assessment methods.
IV. Issues to Consider in Distance Education
These issues should be explored prior to teaching or designing distance courses.
A. Compensation-
* What is the pay rate and will there be additional pay for increased work load
or design time?
* Will there be continued development time after course has been produced?
B. Administrative support-
* Is there a clear goal for distance courses? Is it the same as your goal?
* Will you be able to teach the course enough times to make up for extra time
in development?
* Will it be advertised adequately?
* Is there enough cooperation between faculty, technical support and administrators?
C. Job security-
* Will one distance course replace several traditional sections?
* Will distance education courses be equally dispersed among faculty?
D. Funding-
* Will more money shift to computers and network maintenance away from laboratories?
* Is there a budget for software or for hardware maintenance?
* Can smaller online courses pay for themselves?
* Will extra student fees be used to pay for courses?
E. Support personnel-
* Are there adequate programmers, graphic artists and other support personnel
to realistically support course development?
* Is there a plan when the technology fails?
* Is there dedicated hardware?
* Is there a technology 'help desk' for students and faculty?
F. Intellectual property-
* Who owns the work?
* Who will get copyright permissions?
G. Effectiveness/Quality-
* Is the course of the same academic rigor as traditional courses?
* How will the course be evaluated?
* Is the course transferable to other institutions?
H. Assessment-
* Are you comfortable with distant assessment of student performance?
* Is there a security concern?
(Last updated on 11-6-2003)