Training rural educators in Kentucky through distance learning: Impact with follow-up data

Rural Special Education Quarterly, Fall 2002 by Grisham-Brown, Jennifer, Collins, Belva C

Abstract

The Training Rural Educators in Kentucky (TREK) projects have been providing distance education courses to graduate students in moderate/severe disabilities (MSD) and early childhood special education (ECSE) since 1989. This paper provides the results of a survey conducted at the end of the third 3-year-cycle of federal funding for a TREK project, Training Rural Educators in Kentucky through Distance Learning (TREK-DL). Project staff collected data on students' satisfaction with the content and delivery of distance education courses offered through the TREK projects. In addition, they collected impact data on the degree with which students used best practices for children with disabilities that were emphasized in TREK coursework. The results of the survey show that students were satisfied with the coursework they were receiving and, with the exception of technology malfunctions and communication/interaction difficulties imposed by the technology, they were satisfied with all formats of course delivery (i.e., on site, satellite, and interactive video). In addition, the results show that students are implementing best practices with children who have disabilities and sharing those practices with other adults with whom they work. As well, students indicate that their involvement with the TREK projects has resulted in systemic changes at their places of employment.

One of the goals of providing distance education options for students who teach special education in rural areas is to provide them with state-of-the-art knowledge and skills in instructional practices for children with disabilities since geographic isolation may limit their accessibility to training programs that emphasize best practices. A distance education program that emphasizes best practices in educating learners with disabilities is likely to have impact beyond changing the individual behavior of the student who received the coursework. For example, the teachers' students will benefit as the teacher learns improved methods for providing instruction. In addition, the teacher taking the courses may share new, more effective methods of teaching with colleagues, thus impacting the students in the classrooms of colleagues as well. In some cases, innovative practices learned by one teacher in a district can result in systemic change for the entire school district. Although the wide reaching impact of providing distance education courses to rural areas is likely, there is little evidence to demonstrate its impact.

The University of Kentucky (UK) has been providing graduate level distance learning programs in moderate and severe disabilities (MSD) and early childhood special education (ECSE) since 1989. Collins (1997) documented the effectiveness of the Training Rural Educators in Kentucky (TREK) distance education projects from 1989 until 1996. Her data revealed the students' (a) preferred delivery methods, (b) evaluation of course content, and (c) overall satisfaction with the program. In an effort to document the continued effectiveness of the program with an added emphasis on its impact on children with disabilities, other teachers, and school districts, the project director and principal investigator of the third TREK project conducted a follow-up survey in 1998 of all students who had participated in distance education programs since 1989. The purpose of this article is to (a) review the program components of the TREK projects, (b) summarize the satisfaction data collected through the follow-up survey conducted in the summer of 1998, and (c) describe the impact data collected through that same survey.

Program Description

As described by Collins (1997), the TREK projects have received funding through the U.S. Department of Education since 1989. Between 1989-1992, a sole faculty member delivered coursework in ECSE and MSD at a single site in southeastern Kentucky as part of the original TREK project. Two subsequent TREK projects, Training Rural Educators through Distance Learning (TREK-DL), were funded during the years of 1992-1995 and 1995-1998 to add distance education technologies (i.e., satellite and interactive video) to on-site practicum supervision in the delivery of graduate coursework in the two aforementioned areas. With all three TREK projects, student tuition assistance was available. In addition, partial funding for a university faculty member to serve as project director also was provided. The Office of Distance Learning Programs at UK worked closely with all three projects to provide assistance with recruitment, registration, technology on-site, as well as partial funding for the faculty position. Throughout the three projects, 141 students have completed 74 courses. (A fourth TREK project, Training Rural Educators in Kentucky through Collaborative Relationships [TREK-CR] was funded for three years beginning in 1998.)

TREK has had three main objectives during each project. The first objective was to prepare graduate level personnel to provide appropriate educational programming in rural areas to individuals with MSD and preschoolers with developmental delays. The second objective was to prepare graduate level personnel to provide consultation, inservice, and training to parents, school districts, community agencies and administrators involved with individuals who have developmental and behavior disabilities and who are located in rural areas. Finally, the third objective was to prepare graduate level personnel to consume and conduct applied research related to providing educational services to infants, children, youth, and adults with developmental and behaviors disabilities in rural settings. These objectives were achieved through (a) didactic instruction with an emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA); (b) practicum experiences that could occur at the students' places of employment (if they were working with infants, toddlers, children, youth or adults with disabilities), and (c) the development of research skills that were fostered through literature reviews, implementation of a data-based project, and, finally, the development and implementation of a thesis project.