Editors Note: Ms. Marina represents a significant liaison among distance learning, education and industry in Indonesia. Her country was early to own its own satellite as a practical way to connect rural and under-developed areas across hundreds of islands. Indonesia stands to benefit greatly from online learning technologies and global access through the Internet.

This paper was presented the PTC2001 Conference, Hawaii, January 2001 and is published here with permission of the author and the copyright holder, the Pacific Telecommunications Council.

Facing the Challenges,
Getting the Right Way with Distance Learning

By S. T Marina

1. Learning Environment Today

Distance Learning has been employed as an alternative to traditional, campus-based, classroom instruction for over a century. The technologies have been shaping the format and structure from the early distance learning applications, (correspondence-based), to the advent of new technologies which no educators or learners could have expected. We have seen tremendous growth and change in the meaning of distance learning. It has been revolutionized by the latest development in information technology especially in broadband and Internet technologies. As the learning community responds to all the changes, the learner needs are growing and the market is going global. A flood of new communications devices and services are coming our way while we are still trying to accept the older technologies and applications.

The technologies have changed many aspects in human life, the way people live, work, and learn. If distance learning once was an alternative delivery of education and training, it has moved to a different level of use and importance. It has become a mainstream method, which provides education for more people in more areas, just like other life styles that are being affected by the boost of new technologies.

If we look at today’s trends in technology, the communications, computing, and information industries are converging in the digital environment. This environment will include a convergence of sound, video and data with synchronous (real time) and asynchronous (delayed time) communication. It gives positive impact on the learning community because it enables mass customization and differentiation; product and services to be combined and used in different ways for more than one purpose and to meet different needs.

It is a new learning environment with extraordinary new tools: self paced, multimedia modules delivering leading pedagogy; in-depth outcome assessment; and online interaction with fellow learners and educators that facilitates continuous feedback and improvement. The learning pattern is random. The learning styles are varied and more personal.

The players in the education industries are also changing as the markets become more attractive and horizontal linkage among different sectors is improving. Some of the findings that we can see from the learning industries and communities today are:

The shift from the local or nation-based educational institutions, mainly serving their various communities or particular strata within the societies to mass education institutions, increasingly in competition for students or learners - and towards the international.

The growth of Learning Application Providers who provide product and services, course authoring tools, including consultancy, to help implement distance learning applications that are customized based, both in flexibility of features and cost planning.

The change in dominations of highly skilled workers by some countries, because the information and knowledge now can be accessed globally by more learners world wide, so those who didn’t have the opportunity to get educated before, are now closer to the real time, up to date knowledge resources.

New strategic partnerships in educations and trainings among corporate, government sectors, educational institutions and the community have been formed progressively. Sharing of markets and resources is becoming commonplace, and this is not only happening within a nation but it is increasing among nations

2. Distance Learning Applications and Technologies

Discussing about the technology being used in learning environment, we can make a list of many available technologies. With the list we shall able to do the analysis of its own characteristics and see how they will fit into our learning requirements.

We can see the list based on the interaction time, which is divided into 2 modes:

1. Synchronous (real time)

This mode enables learner to have real time communication with the instructor or other learners. The technologies that enable to do this are audio conferencing, web conferencing, video conferencing, desktop-based application sharing.

2. Asynchronous (delayed time)

This mode enabled learners to choose their own time and pace to do their learning activities. And technologies have made it possible to do so by providing audiotape, videotape, CBT (diskette or CD-ROM), Video on Demand, and the Internet.

The other way to see the learning technologies today is based on its group size, which differentiate the technologies.

1. Individual Learning Environment

One of the advantages in distance learning program is to give more space and flexibility to the learners. Through printed material, CBT, performance support tools and Web hyperlinks, learner can do their prerequisite learning activities; accessing any information resources they need and prepare themselves before participating in-group learning activities that focus on more advanced content. And this makes the learning program more effective than ever.

2. Group Learning

This type of environment mostly referred to as a substitute for the typical conventional classroom, through the use of technologies and applications like audio conferencing, video conferencing, web-based chat rooms and web bulletin boards.

As the paradigm of learning shifts, we can now see that today’s learning environment is actually a combination of any form of individual learning and group learning environment.

What has been experienced in many distance learning programs is that, even though the learners want to be able to use telecommunications interactively as a personal tool, it is important to make a learning environment that enables the learners to become self-directed and reduce their sense of isolation.

3. Learning Implementation Approach

The level of interactivity has been an issue in measuring the performance of effective learning model programs. Some may say that distance learning can only be interactive and thus effective using two-way video and two-way audio systems. However, interaction can be accomplished through other technologies, if we know how to integrate one into another in a combined approach method. The options of media technologies that are being used in distance learning available today are described in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Media Technology Options

Technologies
Video Technologies	Broadcast video (one way), videoconferencing (two-ways: compressed and full motion technologies; video-on-demand, videotapes, CD-ROM
Audio Technologies	Telephone, audio conferencing, audio cassettes, radio broadcast, phone mail / voice mail
Computer Technologies	email, computer conferencing, bulletin boards, internet, CD-ROM / CBT

By identifying the media listed above does not mean that it is used as single media-based, because what we have seen is that media now come in combinations with more than one technology. We are continuing the trend toward digital fusion where many technologies are becoming digital, and ultimately will be accessed through the computer. Distance Learning designers have to be aware that there is no single solution that is ideal for all educational and training needs and learner requirements. There is also no one “best” technology as each of them has different characteristics, strengths and limitations, that make it more or less appropriate for a given learning need.

It has been demonstrated that matching learning requirements with delivery technologies will promote successful learning experiences, which, in turn, will facilitate the change process. An important element in structuring satisfying learning experiences is matching the specific attributes of the technology with the learning requirements with the following aspects:

Content

Includes scope, storage, dependency, stability, and volume of the content

Learning needs and objectives

Identifies the level of knowledge or skills expected from the learning activities; includes level of interaction needed and format - individualized instruction or group learning.

Characteristics of the learner population

Structure of learners, demographics, statistics, and background that makes sure that they can successfully adapt to distance learning and that distance-learning will provide satisfying educational experiences for them.

In different programs, distance learning is implemented by using various models and approaches based on the learning environment characteristics and the availability of the existing technology infrastructure. Many have shown, and it is being recommended, that the best model to be taken is to use multiple media approaches in delivering courses to students. A delivery technique may be based on a mix of media such as computer conferencing, video conferencing, videotape, audio conferencing, and access to learning resources through the computer. Through this approach, the distance-learning designers can find the best way to accommodate any given learning styles.

4. Distance Learning in Indonesia

Distance Learning has been long known by the Education System in Indonesia with the written courses available through the Open Junior Secondary Schools (OJSS) and by using radio communication. Since 1989, these programs have been disseminated to many provinces. By1999 there were 3,773 OJSS locations operating throughout the country with total number of 376,620 students. As a distance learning system, this program relies on self-learning materials to deliver the lessons. Most of the learning materials are in print, supported by media such as audiocassettes, radio programs and TV/video programs.

In 1984 the Open University was founded with a large number of participants. However, what was gained through the distance learning was not as was expected, not only because of the lack of funds but also, in general, society lacked trust in the Open University and the Open University was not fully accepted. It is expected that as communication technologies develop, then society’s trust in the effectiveness of distance learning will also increase.

While there are many initiatives that have been started and show impressive growth, the problems are still there. Since the technology media being used is quite limited, it does not accommodate the levels of interaction needed. Students have been having difficulties because of the way in which they have been taught to learn. The old face-to-face interaction has been the comfortable way of learning, and now they have to learn by themselves, to be independent. Students do not have the prompt feedback from their teachers as to what they need to do. Two-way communication for more effective learning is very important since not all students have the opportunity to meet a qualified subject matter teacher everyday.

Budget is another problem, yet it is always a problem for educational programs everywhere. Quantitative development of the distance education programs within a limited budget will create problems in term of quality, since not all components of the system can function properly without funding support.

The use of telecommunications technologies for distance education will continue to increase as educators deal with increasing numbers of student’s population. In addition, Indonesia is a vast archipelago consisting of thousands of islands, which cause educational problems of: opportunity, equity, and disparity.

The Indonesian government needs to seek alternative ways to make all these discouraging facts become the driving power towards compatibility and improvement. Besides trying to reform the education system, government should be working with the business sectors. These sectors have more needs, access and capabilities in distance learning for working together in mutual partnerships. When the education system works closely with business, this will in turn accelerate the educational institutions to solve their problems.

From the other side, the needs and availability within business and industries for qualified human resources as the result of formal education system are still not completely satisfied. Not all corporate training programs available do enough to improve the skills and knowledge of their workers. If this trend continues, it may lead to serious danger because it affects the ability of industry to survive and compete in the fast growing global market environment. This will affect the whole nation.

5. Distance Learning Initiative in RisTI

Being the major telecommunication provider in Indonesia, TELKOM has been playing the role of serving the needs for telecommunication in all aspects of the nation, including education system. The rapid development in IT has been shaping the telecommunication industry and changing the business of Telco companies like TELKOM. New products and services are being developed on the network and TELKOM keeps improving itself to keep pace with all the rapid changes and opportunities.

In early 1998, RisTI initiated a project in distance learning called TeleEducation. The main objectives of the TeleEducation project are to promote the issue of distance learning, make it happen and further to make it an effective and common way of conducting training and education in Indonesia.

The background behind this project is underlining the challenges in training which are being faced not only by 38.000 TELKOM employees all over Indonesia, but also by the whole nation that is facing common difficulties of shrinking budgets and scarce resources.

Currently, TELKOM has one main training center in Bandung and five local training centers separated in Medan (North Sumatra), Jakarta, Semarang (Center of Java), Surabaya (East Java) and Makassar (South Sulawesi). Each training center delivers courses in conventional classrooms. To join in the training, employees must leave their offices to come to one of the available training centers. This means cost in transportation, lost of time and productivity. For some areas, the cost to get employee travel to the training center can make up to 70% of the total training cost. All divisions are facing difficulty in sending their employees to be trained. Therefore TELKOM looked for technology solutions to deliver training faster and in cost effective ways to more employees in more areas.

The project is divided into three phases; the first phase is the important baseline for the rest of the phases with a goal to set up the capabilities of distance learning in the R&D campus and the main training center of TELKOM. The capabilities include the set up of infrastructure, technology application, and course development, training the instructor and class trial.

The trial on this new capability was intended as an input for the development of the next phases, which is to expand the distance learning capability and facility to TELKOM local training centers all over Indonesia and connect all sites in a one distance-learning network.

Examples of technologies that are being used to apply distance learning as an alternative way to deliver knowledge and skills to the TELKOM employees consist of those included in asynchronous and synchronous mode, which is CBT in CDROM-based, ISDN-based video conferencing. This provides two-way interactive multimedia communication, the Internet, and one-way video broadcast via satellite.

Finally, the third phase has the goal to provide a strategic recommendation for distance learning implementation for a national scale education system. This will be based on the results from the previous trial and research in distance learning that are appropriate with the characteristics of Indonesia national education system.

The goals of this project are inline with what is underlined and stressed through the Nusantara-21 vision. With the N-21 vision, TELKOM has decided to deploy a national information infrastructure where accessibility is put on a higher priority than density. The infrastructure is planned to be able to delivered broadband services to more locations. By consolidating the PSTN, broadband network deployment and access network improvement, the N-21 strategy will be able to serve distance-learning applications that need higher bandwidth in more wide dispersed areas. By setting up community access centers in remote locations, the knowledge is being distributed faster to more Indonesian learners.

The activities in parallel to the deployment of the modern infrastructure are being made actively, either as individual or synergic programs. Through collaboration with other private and government institutions in the Indonesia Distance Learning Network (IDLN), activities like projects, trainings, seminars and symposia have been running within the members of this group. By doing this, all members will be able to learn more quickly and take advantage of the competencies available in distance learning. Together they will find ways to help elevating the education and training programs.

RisTI has been taking part in the activities. One of the most successful activities has been conducting Teleseminars via two-way interactive video conferencing. More institutions and governments are now becoming aware of the potency and importance of distance learning. It has touched many areas, helps departments to disseminate information and knowledge by establishing learning centers in their local representative office. It also helps the transition of the centralized government to place more authority and autonomy in local governments.

Research was conducted this year in a distance learning market survey in Jakarta, Indonesia. It showed that manufacturing, financial and consulting services are the sector businesses that are dominant in practicing distance learning in their HRM programs. New initiatives to implement Distance Learning into their training programs are quite promising, but there are differences in the technologies chosen by the government and the private sectors. Preferred technology solutions by the government, based in order, are: The Internet, CBT and Video broadcasting. Table below shows the list of the preferred solutions by the private or business sectors.

Table 2. Distance Learning Preferred Solutions in private sectors

Organizations that have implemented Distance Learning		Organizations that will improve their existing DL program and those that will implement DL in the future
Technology Solutions	Percentage	Technology Solutions	Percentage
CBT	87.70%	Internet	35.80%
Internet	75.30%	Video Broadcasting	28.70%
Audio Conferencing	46.90%	Video Conferencing	25.40%
Video Conferencing	25.00%	CBT	18.00%
Video Broadcasting	17.20%	Audio Conferencing	12.70%

More competencies and capabilities to provide the appropriate distance learning solutions for the learners have to be developed. This includes the system and instructional designers and IT-skilled educators, who will tailor the technology into the learning programs in the right way.

The main hurdles to distance learning such as lack of interactivity, content availability, technology standards, and bandwidth continued to be addressed. Telecommunication Companies are aware that they are now handling areas that are personal, (variation in learning styles), cost-sensitive and challenging. They are working hard to diminish any technological barriers that may occur.

As one of the Telco companies with new vision to become a leading Infocom company in the region, TELKOM needs to address the trends of distance learning implementation in the nation for it very much related to the trends of the Infocom rapid development. TELKOM has to help the learning society to mastering the plan, to implement the technology options of learning in the right track, by examining what might be the trend or development in the near future. It will be beneficial to begin using technologies that will help the educators and learners gradually accustomed to it and enable them to fully utilize the latest technology such as multimedia technologies when they are available for them to be used.

Being in a field where business is changing rapidly and globally, and also, being in a developing country, TELKOM is facing special challenges. It has to keep moving with the global trends in the technology fields, but it also has to compromise with the growth of the nation, which, to some extent, cannot maintain the same pace in supporting the proposed telecommunication leaps. The market should follow the movement of the technology. The dependency of the local market is a most important factor. The network has to be utilized in an optimum way by the market so that it supports productivity in business.

TELKOM has to work together with the business sectors and the educational institutions. Through strategic and mutual partnerships, TELKOM can bridge the gap between educational institutions and industry by working with the corporate training programs, which, simultaneously, integrate the educational sectors in the programs and provide technology-based solutions for education.

References

1. Center for Communication Technology for Education and Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture, Jakarta. 1999. Distance Learning for Basic Education in Indonesia.

2. Chute, Alan., Thompson, Melody., Hancock, Burton. 1999. The McGraw-Hill Handbook of Distance Learning.

3. Lane, Carla, Dr., OERI, U.S Department of Education. Technology and Systemic Educational Reform.

4. RisTI, TELKOM Indonesia. 2000. Distance Learning Market Research.

About the Author:

S. T. Marina joined PT TELEKOMUNIKASI INDONESIA on June 1996 as an engineer at RisTI Information Technology Research Division, specializing in Network and Services. She developed TELKOM products and services, and was concerned with interoperability, audio and video conferencing, and telecommuting. Since 1997 she has been with the TELKOM Distance Learning project. She has presented papers at Asia Telecom, Singapore; International Conference on Technology and Distance Education, Florida, USA; Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia, Melbourne Australia; and the 23^rd Asian Info Communication Council, Bali, Indonesia. She can be contacted at: Telephone: +62 22 4572204, 4572205, Fax: +62 22 2014669, email: marina@risti.telkom.co.id and URL: www.telkom.co.id, www.ristinet.com