Putting the distance in distance education: An international experience in rural special education personnel preparation

Rural Special Education Quarterly, Winter 2003 by Kelly, Karen L, Schorger, John R

A second theme that emerged related to support from peers and faculty, as comments regarding collaborative activities with colleagues was mentioned as beneficial by 33% of the students. In reviewing students' work, the instructors consistently identified numerous supportive interactions among discussion groups, as well as friendly debates over the tough issues faced by these practicing professionals. Frequently, students would "leap" from their assigned discussion group and add comments or information to another groups' discussion, generally in the form of a validation statement or to share a related experience or solution.

Finally, a surprising outcome, considering the technology "novices" in the program, was noted in the summer (mid-program) evaluation, where none of the students noted barriers or challenges encountered with the distance education component of the program and in fact, 25% of the students, in unsolicited, optional comments, noted that the distance education component was the most valuable part of the program. It appeared that, after completion of only three on-line courses, computer literacy may have been a "nonissue," as one student stated, "The quality of the instruction by the professors has been exemplary." No students opted to withdraw from the program and only one student was dropped from the program for nonparticipation.

Outcomes from the online survey were equally positive with respect to the technology-mediated teaching and learning environment. When asked to compare the effectiveness of on-line delivery to traditional classroom delivery, the majority of students (68%) agreed or strongly agreed that the teachinglearning process was as effective. Even with this enthusiastic support, several students (12%) expressed "missing face-to-face interactions;" however, students clearly indicated that a community of learners had been firmly established as collegial support groups that were formed during required discussion groups continued to flourish long after the course instruction ended.

When asked if, after achieving a reasonable level of technological competence, they believed the online course requirements were no more time-consuming than traditional course requirements, most students (75%) agreed or strongly agreed. Finally, many students (62%) indicated that they received as much, or more, timely instructor feedback during on-line courses as they typically received during traditional courses.

Considerations

The outcomes of this project clearly support the use of on-line courses as a viable means of providing personnel preparation at a distance, even when the distance is halfway around the world. Several predictable challenges and potential international barriers to effective instruction were identified, and specific technological issues that tended to interfere with course delivery were analyzed. These challenges included adequacy of student access, computer literacy of students, dual platform concerns, and real time delays. It seems reasonable that these issues could easily be addressed with the initial establishment of a minimum equipment requirement and literacy competency criteria for all students prior to course enrollment. It also would appear prudent to maintain a standard set of specific required software for student use so that technical support and assignment management could be kept to a minimum.