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PODIUM
Online Issues
Donald G. Perrin Ph.D., Journal Editor
Most colleges and universities now offer some online courses; virtual high schools are established in several states; and business, industry, corporations, government, military, and health sciences are deeply committed to distance learning in its many forms, synchronous, asynchronous, blended; CBT, interactive multimedia, internet, online; and video via tape, disk, cable, two-way interactive, broadcast, and satellite. Questions of quality and equivalence with traditional courses are largely resolved, and the tide has reversed so that on-campus courses now benefit from the interactive technologies developed for distance learning.
Innovation continues, and competition brings new and improved course materials and technologies on an almost daily basis. Distance learning is no longer a group of early adopters touting their achievements, but a mainstream option for learning anywhere and everywhere, any-time and all-of-the-time; for almost anybody and everybody who are willing to work to meet the predetermined standard. Learning management systems automate routine tasks and record keeping; authoring systems facilitate translation of content and pedagogies into interactive learning media; and there are teaching and learning options for every learning style.
The nay-sayers and luddites (Dr. Noble not withstanding) have been quieted by the success of Distance Learning. It opens up educational opportunities for millions of people who could not otherwise attend classes or earn certificates and degrees. It solves logistical problems of training in the workplace. It provides opportunities for students to better schedule their education, work, and life with family. It provides a major resource for home schooling, which now serves over one million students in the United States.
Five years ago, the State of California faced a need for buildings to support increased enrollment that was three times the available construction budget. It determined that Distance Learning would have to fill the gap. Today, almost every institution of higher education in the State of California has a distance-learning component.
This issue of USDLA Journal is about research and evaluation of online learning. It delves into faculty developed web sites, institutional support, pedagogy, and learning options for students. It considers course structure, motivation, interactivity, media, blended learning, learner satisfaction, learner retention, and course management.