Chapter 6: Visions for a Virtual University

The Pedagogy of Distance Education
pp. 210-211

Typically, the distance educator faces several challenges. Key among these is the isolation of the student and the fact that teachers and students often will have little in common in terms of background and daily experiences. These factors add new challenges for the distance educator, who starts a course knowing that the motivational factors that develop naturally in a classroom from contact and competition with classmates will be absent in a distance education course. Meeting the instructional needs of students is the cornerstone of every effective distance education program, and the test by which all efforts in the field are judged. Regardless of the educational context, the primary role of the student is to learn. This is a daunting task under the best of circumstances, requiring motivation, planning, and an ability to analyze and apply the instructional content being taught.

The success of any distance education effort rests squarely on the shoulders of the faculty, who must adapt teaching styles taking into consideration the needs and expectations of multiple, often diverse, audiences. Furthermore, faculty must develop a working understanding of the technology they are using while remaining focused on their teaching role. Last but not least, faculty teaching distance learning courses must balance their traditional role with that of a skilled facilitator.29

Along with the traditional grouping of faculty and students, there is an additional and essential cast of characters in successful distance education ventures. There should be a site facilitator who can act as a bridge between the students and the instructor. In some instances, the site facilitator will act like the traditional teaching assistant--that is, by understanding the needs of the students as well as mediating the instructor's expectations. In other instances, the site facilitator will act more as an instructional designer who is able to mediate among the needs of the instructor, the course content, the distance education students and the technology or technologies that will be pulled together to support the course. There should also be a support person who can deal with issues ranging from the securing of copyright clearances to managing technical resources, scanning and converting print resources into Web-ready form.

Administrators can play an influential role in planning an institution's distance education program. However, in order for a distance education program to be effective, administrators need to take a more hands-on approach to project management. "Effective distance education administrators are more than idea people. They are consensus builders, decision makers, and referees. They work closely with technical and support service personnel, ensuring that technological resources are effectively deployed to further the institution's academic mission. Most importantly, they maintain an academic focus, realizing that meeting the instructional needs of distant students is their ultimate responsibility."30

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