ED351008  Nov 92  Strategies for Teaching at a Distance. ERIC Digest.
Author(s):  Willis, Barry
 ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources, Syracuse, N.Y.

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 This digest is based in part on DISTANCE EDUCATION: A PRACTICAL GUIDE,
by Barry Willis, 1993.

Effective teaching at a distance is more the result of preparation than
innovation. The distance educator can employ a number of strategies focusing
on planning, student understanding, interaction, and teaching to ensure
a successfully delivered course.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT DISTANCE TEACHING?

Classroom teachers rely on a number of visual and unobtrusive cues from
their students to enhance their delivery of instructional content. A quick
glance, for example, reveals who is attentively taking notes, pondering
a difficult concept, or preparing to make a comment. The student who is
frustrated, confused, tired, or bored is equally evident. The attentive
teacher consciously and subconsciously receives and analyzes these visual
cues and adjusts the course delivery to meet the needs of the class during
any particular lesson.

In contrast, the distant teacher has few, if any, visual cues. Those cues
that do exist are filtered through technological devices such as video
monitors. It is difficult to carry on a stimulating teacher-class discussion
when spontaneity is altered by technical requirements and distance.

Without the use of a real-time visual medium such as television, the teacher
receives no visual information from the distant sites. The teacher might
never really know, for example, if students are asleep, talking among themselves,
or even in the room. Separation by distance also affects the general rapport
of the class. Living in different communities, geographic regions, or even
states deprives the teacher and students of a common community link.

WHY TEACH AT A DISTANCE?

The challenges posed by distance teaching are countered by opportunities
to reach a wider student audience; to meet the needs of students who are
unable to attend on-campus classes; to involve outside speakers who would
otherwise be unavailable; and to link students from different social, cultural,
economic, and experiential backgrounds. Many teachers feel the opportunities
offered by distance education outweigh the obstacles. In fact, instructors
often comment that the focused preparation required by distance teaching
improves their overall teaching ability and empathy for their students.

IMPROVING PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION

In developing or adapting distance instruction, the core content remains
basically unchanged, although its presentation requires new strategies
and additional preparation time. Suggestions for planning and organizing
a distance delivered course include: 

     --Begin the course planning process by studying distance education
research findings. There are several excellent research summaries available
(see Blanchard, 1989; Moore & Thompson, 1990). 

     --Before developing something new, check and review existing materials
for content and presentation ideas. 

     --Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of possible delivery approaches,
in terms of learner needs and course requirements, before selecting a mix
of instructional technology. Avoid "technological solutions in search of
instructional problems." 

     --"Hands-on" training with the technology of delivery is critical
for both teacher and students. Consider a pre-class session in which the
class meets informally using the delivery technology and learns about the
roles and responsibilities of technical support staff. 

     --At the start of class initiate a frank discussion to set rules,
guidelines, and standards. Once procedures have been established, consistently
uphold them. 

     --Make sure each site is properly equipped with functional and accessible
equipment. Provide a toll-free "hotline" for reporting and rectifying problems.

     --If course materials are sent by mail, make sure they are received
well before class begins. To help students keep materials organized, consider
binding the syllabus, handouts, and other readings prior to distribution.

     --Start off slowly with a manageable number of sites and students.
The logistical difficulties of distant teaching increase with each additional
site. 

     --Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the instructional delivery
systems available to you (e.g., audio, video, data, and print) as well
as the technical means by which they are delivered (e.g., satellite, microwave,
fiber optic cable, etc.).

MEETING STUDENT NEEDS

To function effectively, students must quickly become comfortable with
the nature of teaching and learning at a distance. Efforts should be made
to adapt the delivery system to best motivate and meet the needs of the
students, in terms of both content and preferred learning styles (see Coldeway,
Spencer, & Stringer, 1980). Consider the following strategies for meeting
students' needs: 

     --Make students aware of and comfortable with new patterns of communication
to be used in the course (see Holmberg, 1985). 

     --Learn about students' backgrounds and experiences. Discussing the
instructor's background and interests is equally important. 

     --Be sensitive to different communication styles and varied cultural
backgrounds. Remember, for example, that students may have different language
skills, and that humor is culturally specific and won't be perceived the
same way by all (see Sponder, 1990). 

     --Remember that students must take an active role in the distance
delivered course by independently taking responsibility for their learning.

     --Assist students in becoming familiar and comfortable with the delivery
technology and prepare them to resolve the technical problems that will
arise. Focus on joint problem solving, not placing blame for the occasional
technical difficulty. 

     --Be aware of students' needs in meeting standard university deadlines,
despite the lag time often involved in rural mail delivery.

IMPROVING INTERACTION AND FEEDBACK

Using effective interaction and feedback strategies will enable the instructor
to identify and meet individual student needs while providing a forum for
suggesting course improvements. To improve interaction and feedback, consider
the following: 

     --Integrate a variety of delivery systems for interaction and feedback,
including one-on-one and conference calls, fax, electronic mail, video,
and computer conferencing. When feasible, consider personal visits as well.

     --Contact each site (or student) every week if possible, especially
early in the course. Take note of students who don't participate during
the first session, and contact them individually after class. 

     --Make detailed comments on written assignments, referring to additional
sources for supplementary information. Return assignments without delay,
using fax or electronic mail, if practical. 

     --Arrange telephone office hours using a toll-free number. Set evening
hours if most of your students work during the day. 

     --Early in the course, require students to contact you and interact
among themselves via electronic mail, so that they become comfortable with
the process. Maintaining and sharing electronic journal entries can be
very effective towards this end. 

     --Use pre-class study questions and advance organizers to encourage
critical thinking and informed participation on the part of all learners.
Realize that it will take time to improve poor communication patterns.

     --Have students keep a journal of their thoughts and ideas regarding
the course content, as well as their individual progress and other concerns.
Have students submit journal entries frequently. 

     --Use pre-stamped and addressed postcards and out-of-class phone
conferences for feedback regarding course content, relevancy, pace, delivery
problems, and instructional concerns. 

     --Call on individual students to ensure that all participants have
ample opportunity to interact. At the same time, politely but firmly discourage
individual students or sites from monopolizing class time. 

     --Use an on-site facilitator to stimulate interaction when distant
students are hesitant to ask questions or participate. In addition, the
facilitator can act as your onsite "eyes and ears."

USE EFFECTIVE DISTANCE TEACHING SKILLS

For the most part, effective distance teaching requires enhancing  existing
skills, rather than developing new abilities. Pay special attention to
the following: 

     --Develop strategies for student reinforcement, review, repetition,
and remediation. Towards this end, one-on-one phone discussions and electronic
mail communication can be especially effective. 

     --Realistically assess the amount of content that can be effectively
delivered in the course. Because of the logistics involved, presenting
content at a distance is usually more time consuming than presenting the
same content in a traditional classroom setting. 

     --Diversify and pace course activities and avoid long lectures. Intersperse
content presentations with discussions and student-centered exercises.

     --Be aware that student participants will have different learning
styles. Some will learn more easily in group settings, while others will
excel when working independently. While the same is true in traditional
classroom settings, preferred student learning styles may be more difficult
to determine at a distance. 

     --Humanize the course by focusing on the students, not the delivery
system. 

     --Consider providing a strong print component to supplement non-print
materials (see Graham & Wedman, 1989). 

     --Use locally relevant case studies and examples as often as possible
to assist students in understanding and applying course content. 

     --Be concise. Use short, cohesive statements and ask direct questions,
realizing that technical linkages might increase the time it takes for
students to respond. 

     --Personalize instructor involvement, realizing that distance teaching
does not replace the value of face-to-face contact and small group interaction.
If budget and time permit, teach at least one session from each site. Typically,
the earlier in the course this is done, the better. 

     --And Finally...Relax. Participants will quickly grow comfortable
with the process of distance education and the natural rhythm of effective
teaching and learning will return.

REFERENCES

Blanchard, W. (1989). TELECOURSE EFFECTIVENESS: A RESEARCH-REVIEW UPDATE.
Olympia, WA: Washington State Board for Community College Education. (ED
320 554).

Coldeway, D.E., Spencer, R., & Stringer, M. (1980). FACTORS
EFFECTING LEARNER MOTIVATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: THE INTERACTION
BETWEEN LEARNER ATTRIBUTES AND COURSE PERFORMANCE. REDEAL Research
Report #9. Project REDEAL Research and Evaluation of Distance
Education for the Adult Learner. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:
Athabasca University. (ED 249 346).

Graham, S.W., & Wedman, J.F. (1989). Enhancing the appeal of teletraining.
JOURNAL OF INSTRUCTIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, 16(4), 183-191.

Holmberg, B. (1985). Communication in distance study. In STATUS AND TRENDS
OF DISTANCE EDUCATION. Lund, Sweden: Lector Publishing.

Moore, M.G., & Thompson, M.M., with Quigley, A.B., Clark, G.C., & Goff,
G.G. (1990). THE EFFECTS OF DISTANCE LEARNING: A SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE.
RESEARCH MONOGRAPH NO. 2. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University,
American Center for the Study of Distance Education. (ED 330 321).

Sponder, B. (1990). DISTANCE EDUCATION IN RURAL ALASKA: AN
OVERVIEW OF TEACHING AND LEARNING PRACTICES IN AUDIOCONFERENCE
COURSES. University of Alaska Monograph Series in Distance

Education No. 1. Fairbanks, AK: University of Alaska, Center for
Cross-Cultural Studies. (ED 325 276).

Willis, B. (1993). DISTANCE EDUCATION: A PRACTICAL GUIDE. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

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This digest was prepared for the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources
by Barry Willis, Statewide Director of Distance Education, University of
Alaska System. November 1992.

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ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced and
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This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational
Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract
no. RI88062008. The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily
reflect the positions or policies of OERI or ED.