A Workshop for Distance Learning Educators of the 21st Century

Abstract

There is evidence that the context for learning is undergoing a metamorphosis, that this metamorphosis brings with it a new relationship between the teacher and the student, and that distance learning is becoming a viable option for furthering one's higher education. Advances in technology, academic research, pedagogical innovation, the increase in the chronological age, maturity level and personal commitments of the average college student, and geography and demography have led to a substantial alteration in the structure of the learning environment. The use of distance learning technologies for instruction is growing rapidly and institutions of higher education are adopting interactive technologies. For those of us with knowledge and experience using innovative media, it is our obligation to encourage our colleagues to become familiar with the technology and the redesign of academics that will be prevalent in the new millennium. It is imperative that we assure the integration and success of the new media and formats into our learning environments. This article describes a workshop supported by the NSF for distance learning educators. The focus of the workshop is to aid its participants and their institutions to deliver better online courses from the points of view of the institutions, the professor, and the students. Among the goals of the workshop is the formation of a network for future research for its participants. Follow-through activities, including a reconnoitering of the participants to share results of how they integrated the information provided into their courses and their institutions, a videotape, and the formation of a repository of information regarding the teaching of online courses will be addressed.