Learning and teaching are undergoing tremendous changes as universities and schools rapidly move to provide courses and entire programs online. Although much has been written to indicate that the quality of learning online is not significantly different from face-to-face learning, many universities and schools are still hesitant to substitute traditional learning with online learning. There are many universities and schools that provide opportunities for students to take courses and degree programs completely in an asynchronous environment, but yet there are also many universities and schools, which are resistant to provide this new learning style.
This paper surveys current policies and provides a formal policy for online learning and teaching in an asynchronous environment, which was developed for the author’s university. Those faculty and administrators who are still struggling over whether to provide online courses and programs in an asynchronous environment may find this paper useful.
History of Asynchronous Learning and Teaching
There are many different definitions of distance education or distance learning, but most of them seem to agree that distance education and distance learning require that the “learner” be physically located at a site different from the “teacher”. The “teacher” and “learner” may be in different rooms in the same building or halfway around the world. Traditionally, distance education referred to correspondence courses, but it is now taken to involve the use of some form of technology to “broadcast” the course material from the “teacher” to the “learner.” “Distance education is planned learning that normally occurs in a different place from teaching and as a result requires special techniques of course design, special instructional techniques, special methods of communication by electronic and other technology, as well as special organizational and administrative arrangements.” [1]
Asynchronous learning and teaching refers to the teacher and the learner being separated from each other temporally. Historically, this was done through correspondence courses using the postal system, but today typically is done either through videotapes or the Internet. Asynchronous learning involves "virtual classrooms" using asynchronous interaction where the exchange of information is exclusively on-line with no face-to-face or conventional physical classroom interaction. Online learning and teaching typically involves using one or more aspects of the Internet for teaching and learning.
Distance education is not a new phenomenon; it has been a mode of teaching and learning for countless individuals for over a hundred years. Although for many universities and schools, asynchronous learning and teaching seems to be a new approach, it too, has been around for over one hundred years. In the 1840s, Isaac Pittman began to offer shorthand instruction via correspondence courses using the mail system. Inthe late 1800s New York’s Chautauqua College of Liberal Arts and Illinois Wesleyan began to offer academic degrees via correspondence. “In 1892, Penn State was one of the first universities to develop a program of correspondence study. The program took advantage of Rural Free Delivery—the 19th century’s version of the information highway—to extend Penn State courses and agricultural knowledge to rural families. Within two years, this "home-reading" program had four graduates—two from Pennsylvania, one from Canada, and one from the Oklahoma Territories—immediately proving the potential for Penn State to reach out internationally through distance education.” [2] In the same year, the term distance education first appeared in the University of Wisconsin catalog. [3]
"The goal of distance education is to transcend the barriers of time and space between the teacher and the learner. In the past, success in correspondence study, telecommunications, and other programs proved the worth of distance education. But today, with the explosion of technological resources and the expansion of our expertise in creating programs, distance education is becoming one of the most promising growth areas in higher education. In the future, it will certainly become even more important." [4]
Given that most universities and schools are providing more and more educational opportunities in an asynchronous environment, it is necessary that policies be developed to ensure that the quality of education is maintained.
Survey of Current Policies in Distance Education
To provide background for this paper, the authors solicited responses from about fifty universities and colleges in several different countries. The questions are listed in Appendix A. Almost all of the responses indicated that the university or college had no formal policy for learning and teaching in an asynchronous environment. Several schools indicated that they were working on a policy. Many others incorporated the policy in the larger framework of their distance education policy. Yet other schools seem to ignore the issue entirely. It appeared that some schools felt there wasn’t a need to address the differences between teaching courses in a traditional setting and teaching courses in an asynchronous environment.
Appendix B provides a list of WWW links to several online policies that address some of the issues of learning and teaching in an exclusive asynchronous environment.
Most policies require that students be provided the same services in a distance-learning environment that they would be afforded in a traditional face-to-face classroom. This is especially important for teacher-learner interaction.
Many universities and schools have integrated Internet resources into all of their courses. Many are using email and chat for instructor/student correspondence and class discussion. Some schools are using email and chat exclusively for conducting the class. Fairleigh Dickinson University is one U.S. university that is requiring all students take at least one online course each year. Students are of course expected to have Internet access [5].
Several universities have “attendance” requirements that specify the amount of time a student is expected to participate in chat sessions. One college requires that the students “log-in” at least three times each week. A faculty member at a university in the American southwest indicated that he expects all students to participate in at least four chats out of a possible eight during the semester [6]. The lecturer schedules these chats at different times of the day so that students in different parts of the world are not disadvantaged. Many instructors who teach in an online asynchronous environment have modified their assignments to require a weekly journal or postings to online bulletin boards. One of the authors has added journal work to most of his online classes with very positive results, while the other has had similar results with student interaction via bulletin boards.
Policy For Online Learning And Teaching In An Asynchronous Environment
All policy outlined for Distance Education for New Mexico Highlands University will be followed except where noted below. The following indicates proposed additional policy for online learning and teaching in an asynchronous environment.
General Policy
· Distance Education courses taught in an asynchronous environment must have the same learning objectives as traditional classes.
· The Internet and mail may be used in place of most if not all face-to-face meetings.
· Students must be provided comparable resources and support as students in traditional classes.
· Students must complete examinations, other assignments and homework/class participation as in a traditional class.
· Students must communicate with instructors on a regular basis.
· Approval for teaching a class in an asynchronous environment resides with the department that offers the class.
· Approval of programs to be taught in an asynchronous environment must follow the same procedures as currently followed by all new programs. The program must be proposed by the department and approved by the Chairperson, the Dean of the School or College, the Faculty Academic Affairs Committee, Faculty Senate, and the Provost.
Faculty Role
· Although the instructor still structures and facilitates the learning experience, the instructor will need to share control of the process with the student to a greater extent than in a traditional classroom.
· Teaching in an asynchronous requires more preparation than is normally expected in a traditional classroom. This requires the instructor to identify additional resources to support student learning before the course begins.
· Syllabi and, if appropriate, plans for effective use of the interactive technologies such as computer conferencing and voice-mail need to be detailed beforehand online.
· Instructors must be more available to facilitate individual student's learning. This will require extensive use of e-mail and possibly chat and online discussion facilities.
· Instructors must provide information in the online syllabus about how and when students can contact them. If possible, instructors should schedule weekly chat times as a supplement for office hours.
· Instructors should provide detailed comments on students' written assignments. The assignments need to be returned to the students promptly.
· Instructors should provide a structure for interactive discussions by posing topics or providing some other stimulus for discussion.
Students Role
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