Thoughts to share? The Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration is a peer-reviewed electronic journal offered free each quarter over the World Wide Web. The journal welcomes manuscripts based on original work of practitioners and researchers with specific focus or implications for the management of distance education programs. Click here to access our readership stats.
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University of West Georgia Melly's DLA Blog
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University of West Georgia
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Troy University
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Dr. Stephen J. Anspacher
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University of West Georgia
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University of West Georgia
Ms. Tammy Hamm-Ronsisvalle
Synergy Plus Inc.
Dr. Cher C. Hendricks
University of West Georgia
Rayma Harchar, Ed. D.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Dr. Kathleen A. Kraus
State University of New York at New Paltz
Dr. Dwight Laws
Brigham Young University
Dr. George E. Marsh II
The University of Alabama
Dr. Paul F. Merrill
Brigham Young University
Mr. Bob Reese
Reese Consulting Associates, Inc.
Mr. Timothy W. Seid
Earlham School of Religion
Dr. Barbara L. Watkins
University of Kansas
Current Issue
University Business Models and Online Practices: A Third Way
Beth Rubin
by Beth Rubin
Higher Education is in a state of change, and the existing business models do not meet the needs of stakeholders. This article contrasts the current dominant business models of universities, comparing the traditional non-profit against the for-profit online model, examining the structural features and online teaching practices that underlie each. It then offers a third option for existing non-profit universities that would enable them to continue offering multiple value propositions while increasing efficiency and quality of outcomes. This involves emphasizing online instruction, separating research from teaching, and adopting a more complex structure based on differentiated faculty roles that would enable economies of scale along with the benefits of research-informed instruction.
Evaluation of the State Authorization Processes for Distance Education
Devrim Ozdemir
James McDaniel
by Devrim Ozdemir James McDaniel
In this article, the process of obtaining state authorizations for distance education at George Mason University is presented. The purpose of the paper is to provide guidance to those four-year public universities that deliver distance education programs. In order to attract students from multiple states, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE)’s “program integrity issues” announced in Fall 2010 has created some confusion as to how best to maintain compliance. Although changes in the program integrity processes that were required by the USDOE have been placed on hold, state regulations regarding the operation of higher education institutions are still in place. Therefore, George Mason University continues to seek approval from all states in which we have noted online student enrollment. In this study, we present the process of obtaining state authorizations over the last year, including challenges, variability of state authorizations, a status report on Mason compliance processes, and, future plans regarding the state authorization processes. The article is meant to help guide university leaders who must allocate resources wisely in an arena with multiple fixed constraints.
Community Colleges and Underappreciated Assets: Using Institutional Data to Promote Success in Online Learning
Claire Wladis, Katherine Conway, Alyse Hachey
by Alyse Hachey Katherine Conway Claire Wladis Adapting to the 21st century, community colleges are not adding brick and mortar to meet enrollment demands. Instead, they are expanding services through online learning, with at least 61% of all community college students taking online courses today (Pearson, 2011). As online learning is affording alternate pathways to education for students, it is facing difficulty in meeting outcome standards; attrition rates for the past decade have been found to be significantly higher for online courses than face-to-face courses (Carr, 2000; Hachey, Wladis & Conway, 2012a/b; Morris & Finnegan, 2008; Tyler-Smith, 2006). Yet, there is a lack of empirical investigation on community college online attrition, despite the fact that course and institutional management systems today are automatically collecting a wealth of data which are not being utilized but are readily available for study. This article presents a meta-review of one community college’s realization of their underappreciated asset… the use of institutional data to address the dearth of evidence on factors effecting attrition in online learning.
Professional Online Adjuncts and the Three Pillars of Entrepreneurialism, Arbitrage, and Scholarship
Wayne Hollman
by Wayne Hollman
Significant growth in online programs has created demand for online courses and therefore opportunities for employment for online educators. The vast majority of these employment opportunities have been filled by online adjuncts. A special category of online adjunct has surfaced that leverages the autonomy of working online with freedom from geographic limitations that are emblematic of traditional campus teaching experiences. This category of online adjunct called a Professional Online Adjunct may work for several institutions at once and essentially works full-time as a part-time employee. This qualitative study investigates the characteristics and motivations of individuals who fall within this category of online instructor.
Managing Large-Scale Online Graduate Programs
Jacques Singleton, Gwendolyn Neal, Audrey Bowser, Annette Hux
by Jacques Singleton Audrey Bowser Annette Hux Gwendolyn Neal
As with most states, Arkansas is experiencing substantial growth in the delivery of academic programs and courses by distance learning provided by institutions of higher education. At Arkansas State University faculty have adhered to the need of students and developed a completely online certification and master’s program in Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Special Education (ELCSE). The authors outline the steps in the process of developing and managing such an online graduate distance learning program. Because distance learning coursework has evolved and expanded with the rapid growth of instructional technologies, this paper will also suggest best practices for implementing interactive online instruction for educators.
Analyzing Reasons for Non-adoption of Distance Delivery Formats in
Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Education
Theresa Gergen
M. D. Roblyer
by Theresa Gergen M. D. Roblyer
Though distance education formats could help address an urgent need for growth in the occupational therapy assistant (OTA) workforce, distance methods are not as accepted in these programs as they are in other professional and clinical programs. This study investigated whether beliefs and levels of experience of OTA program directors shaped their views about whether OTA knowledge and skills can effectively be taught at a distance. Results suggested that directors believe cognitive skills can be more effectively taught at a distance than can psychomotor skills, but directors’ levels of experience with distance education did not influence their views. Implications for future research and professional development in OTA are discussed.
All Adjuncts are Not Created Equal: An Exploratory Study of Teaching and Professional Needs of Online Adjuncts
Laurie Bedford
Heather Miller
by Laurie Bedford Heather Miller
Online education programs continue to rely on a significant contingent of adjunct faculty to meet the instructional needs of the students. Discourse relating to this situation primarily focuses on the extent to which adjuncts are able to ensure the rigor and quality of instruction as well as the ability of the organization to attract, retain, and support qualified professionals. In response, organizations have created very structured, standardized professional development opportunities, meticulous monitoring of adjunct activities and inflexible policies to guide interactions with learners. This one-size-fits-all strategy limits the organization’s ability to facilitate an adjunct-organizational relationship that supports the adjunct in ways that meet their individual needs. The purpose of this exploratory, quantitative questionnaire study was to examine the difference between the adjuncts’ primary rationale for teaching, and their self-identified professional category. In addition, the study sought to explore the difference between the adjunct’s primary professional needs and their self-identified professional category. The results of the study demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the self-identified professional employment groups in the areas of student focused instruction, personal needs, an interest in online pedagogy, career advancement, and flexible work schedule categories. There was not a significant difference in the self-identified professional employment groups and the category of skill development.
From the Editor
Hello Readers:
It seems like the world is turning faster than ever in online learning. Since our last journal, just three months ago, MOOCs quickly rose to dominance as the online news item, and institutions scurried, almost in a panicked way, to get something free out there. While some have suggested that 2012 was the year of the MOOC, I would suggest that January 2013 was the month of the MOOC. February saw an equally significant change. A couple of prominent MOOCs failed, and we begin to see that there were some various financial strings attached, after all. For those heavily involved with the costs of quality online learning, this came as no surprise. This does not mean that MOOCs do not have a place. Indeed, they are quite important in forcing new conversations about the meaning of education and how much it costs. They can also be successful in providing an inexpensive way to learn or perhaps to gain some college credit for those who are exceptionally well-motivated. While they may supplant or inform some of the existing paths to education, I do not believe that they will replace them.
2013, in my view, will be the year of the business model that truly supports online learning. Differentiated tuition will continue, but will be less likely to support campus endeavors that are not associated with online programs. The primary impetus will be the need to develop online programs that are truly affordable, but still provide vital services such as student support for online students and a high level of interaction between faculty and students. In this edition, Rubin reviews common online business models, and proposes a possible "third way." It will be most interesting to see where we have all evolved on this in one year. I certainly believe that online tuition rates will rise very little this year, if at all.
On another note, it is less than three months until our Distance Learning Administration Conference in Jekyll Island, Georgia. This may very well be my favorite week of the year, and I hope to see you there.
Peace to all,
Melanie N. Clay, Ph.D.
March 15, 2013
A special thanks to Thinking Cap for being the premiere sponsor of DLA2013!
Hello Readers: