VOLUME 5 NUMBER 2, 1991
Editorial
An International Issue
Michael G. Moore
Articles (for abstracts, click
here)
Towards a Causal Model of Student Progress in Distance Education: Research
in Hong Kong
David Kember, David Murphy, Irene Siaw, and K. S. Yuen
Design and Implementation of an M.B.A. Program in the United
Kingdom
Gordon C. Dyer
Project Management in the Development of Instructional Material
for Distance Education: An Australian Overview
David Ross
Telecommunications-Based Training in Europe: A State-of-the-Art
Report
Betty A. Collis
International Grass Roots
Preface
Michael G. Moore
Distance Education in the United Kingdom Today: Current
Trends
Alan Tait
Features of Distance Education in Finland
Jouni Immonen and Jorma Rinta-Kanto
Distance Education in Eastern Germany
Horst Mohle
The Challenge of Distance Education in China
Fuwen Gao
China's Network of Radio and Television Universities
Renfang Wei
Overview of Spanish and Latin American Distance Higher Education
Jose Luis Garcia Garrido
Software Review
The ICDL Database for Distance Education
Morten Flate Paulsen
Book Review
Media and Technology in European Distance Education
Edited by A.W. Bates
Frank Solomon and Nofflet Williams
Interview
Speaking Personally with Reidar Roll
Michael Moore
EDITORIAL
An International Issue
Michael G. Moore
When this journal was established in 1986 it was with the declared intention of filling a perceived gap in American educational literature, namely the absence of a specialist journal that dealt with research and scholarship pertaining to learning and teaching, organization, and policy regarding distance education-all education in which teaching is separate from learning. A second and related gap that we sought to fill was a gap in the international literature, namely the absence of a journal that reported research and developments in the United States to the larger world outside. Like some readers, I myself found it galling in international meetings to be met consistently with the view that distance education only occurred in countries with national open universities, and by a failure by educators in other countries to recognize the major contributions that American education has given, and continues to give, to the theory, research, and practice in this field. It is therefore a cause for satisfaction that The American Journal of Distance Education has made a contribution to rectifying these misunderstandings, as evidenced by the subscriptions of hundreds of foreign institutions and the citation of its articles in numerous foreign publications.
As part of our goal of achieving this recognition for American distance education we have, over the past five years, only very occasionally sacrificed space for an article about foreign distance education, and only then if it had close links with, or implications for, distance education in North America. At meetings where I have shared a platform with editors of Distance Education, AJDE, and Open Learning, to describe our different editorial policies, I have declared frankly that our journal is not a universal journal, but one concerned only with distance education in the Americas, especially the United States.
After four years, with the task of establishing the American publication agenda successfully accomplished, and also in conformity with a recommendation of the Editorial Board that we occasionally publish issues with a special focus, this special issue is a departure from our established policy, and contains reports of developments and research OUTSIDE North America.
The selection of articles has not been unusually systematic, but rather we have held and refereed, rather than rejected because of their foreign origin, a number of articles that have reached our offices in recent months. In addition we have included the short national reports in the Grass Roots section that were requested for this purpose, as is explained in an editorial note that precedes that section, as well as specially commissioned Reviews and the Interview. The result is a snapshot of activities and some research interests of our foreign co-workers. Another issue would give a different snapshot, though surely the main issues would not be very different. Here they include: student progress, continuing professional education, course development, and the use of telecommunications. Obviously many of the questions that are being asked about distance education in the United States are being asked in other countries. Perhaps some have, to some extent, been answered in other countries. Accordingly, I hope this special issue might encourage some readers to investigate foreign experience as they seek solutions to their own research and development questions. Perhaps other readers will, as they plan research, get in touch with authors whom we publish here, as well as those whose work in other countries they reference. (Some of these authors can be contacted personally through DEOS, the Distance Education Online Symposium).
With articles from, and about, distance education in Great Britain, Finland, China, Spain and Latin America, Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, and The Netherlands, it is hoped this special issue will provide a good introduction to the universal experience of the distance education movement of which American distance education is an increasingly important part.
Towards a Causal Model of Student
Progress in Distance Education: Research in Hong Kong
David Kember, David Murphy, Irene Siaw, and K. S. Yuen
This article develops a path model of student progress in
distance education. The basis of the development was the influential model
of Tinto (1975), which has been modified to suit the special circumstances
of distance students. In particular, this study has paid attention to
the social integration component, sometimes lacking in previous attempts
to apply Tinto's model to distance education. The analysis, using path
methods, confirms the importance of social integration, along with academic
integration, which act as intervening variables between the background
and outcome variables. (28 references)
Design and Implementation of an M.B.A. Program
in the United Kingdom
Gordon C. Dyer
The UKOU has extended its open access philosophy to part-
time programs of management education up to MBA level, intending no discrimination
in terms of gender, class, entry qualifications, upper age, ethnic root,
occupation or other disadvantage, and to cover organizational needs in
all economic sectors. The paper describes how the objectives of open access
and maintenance of quality of output are achieved through appropriate
systems design of program, routing and a "ladder of opportunity."
The contribution of computer mediated conferencing as a future teaching
medium in the program is evaluated, in the context of its potential to
aid interactive communication, widen access to, and reduce isolation of
students. (7 references)
Project Management in the Development of Instructional
Material for Distance Education: An Australian Overview
David Ross
The article describes project management in general and
points out some implications for the development of instructional material.
The article recommends "phase network"--a technique for scheduling,
supervising, and controlling instructional materials development projects.
The technique comprises these four stages: Preparation of the phase network,
estimation of expected time to perform each work element, development
of the phase network, and monitoring and control. (1 reference)
Telecommunications-Based Training in Europe: A State-of-the-Art Report
Betty A. Collis
The article reports on the European Community-sponsored
seminar "Telecommunications Based Training Systems in the 90's"
held in Madrid, Spain, January 21 and 22, 1991. The seminar focused on
state-of-the art projects involving telecommunications for training and
instruction. Further, the article gives brief reviews of these Europe-wide
projects: DELTA (Developing European Learning Through Technological Advance),
LAT (Learning by Advanced Telecommunications), OLE (Organizational Learning
in Enterprises), OLEW (Open Learning Experimental Workshop), SATDOC (Satellite
Medical Education and Data Transfer), JANUS (Joint Academic Using Satellite),
CAPTIVE (Image Transmission in Distance Education), Channel e (Development
of a European Educational Broadcast Series by Mass Audience Satellite).
In addition, several other European Projects involving telecommunications-based
training are mentioned. (13 references)
Distance Education in the United Kingdom Today:
Current Trends
Alan Tait
The article briefly describes the Open University, the Open
Tech, the Open College, and the Open Polytechnic. In addition, it presents
several European distance education projects and discusses their implications
for the Open University. (10 references)
Features of Distance Education in Finland
Jouni Immonen and Jorma Rinta-Kanto
The article presents the development of distance education
in Finland. The discussion includes information about adult education,
distance education at universities, creation of and cooperation among
cooperative networks, media, and research activities. (0 References)
Distance Education in Eastern Germany
Horst Mohle
The article presents distance education in eastern Germany
with special emphasis on goals, research findings, and the consequences
of the unification of the two German states. (7 references)
The Challenge of Distance Education in China
Fuwen Gao
The article presents distance education in China with an
emphasis on satellite TV-based education. The article also elucidates
the demand for education and the impact of distance education on the development
of China. (0 references)
China's Network of Radio and Television Universities
Renfang Wei
The article presents China's Network of Radio and Television
Universities (TVU), its organizational structure, its administrative and
academic responsibilities, and the relationship between TVUs and governments.
The article also includes information about TVU degrees and curricula.
(4 references)
Overview of Spanish and Latin American Distance
Higher Education
Jose Luis Garcia Garrido
The article presents an overview of distance education institutions
dealing with higher education in Spain and Latin America. The Spanish
UNED, the Costa Rican UNED, and the Venezuelan UNA are discussed in greater
detail. (2 references)
Effectiveness and Costs of Distance Education Using
Computer-Mediated Communication
Ruth H. Phelps, Rosalie A. Wells, Robert L. Ashworth, Jr., and Heidi A.
Hahn
A portion of an Army resident course was converted for distance study via computer-mediated communication (CMC). Students and instructors communicated with each other using computers at home, thus creating an "electronic classroom." Test scores, completion rates, student perceptions and costs were compared to resident training. Results showed CMC performance is no different than resident, and completion rates and costs are less than resident instruction. (24 references)
