Theory of Distance Education Brief background Barry O Williams Overview Astounding growth Garrison 1990 Glamorized by technology Poor conceptual framework Barry O Williams fragmented lacks theoretical foundation lacks programmatic research Garrison and Hayes 1990 Hodgepodge of ideas and practices taken from traditional classroom settings and imposed on learners who just happen to be separated physically from an instructor Barry O Williams Justification of Distance Education Nontraditional education attempted to define the important and unique attributers Barry O Williams Nontraditional learner Rumble 1986 Separation Rumble 1986 Planned guided experience Holmberg 1986 Two way communications structure Keegan 1988 Three Historical Approaches Keegan 1986 Theories of autonomy and independence Wedemeyer 1977 Moore 1973 Theory of Industrialization distance education as an industrialized form of teaching Otto Peters 1972 Theories of interaction and communication Baath 1982 87 and Daniel and Marquis 1979 Barry O Williams Identified Essential Elements Wedemeyer 1981 Independent learner Greater student responsibility Widely available instruction Effective mix of media and methods Adaptation to individual differences Wide variety of start stop and learning times Barry O Williams Holmberg 1989 Elements continued Meaningful learning New learning anchored in the cognitive structure not rote learning Centered on interest Teaching is facilitation of learning Individualization of teaching and learning Encouragement of critical thinking Barry O Williams Theoretical Constructs Transactional Distance Moore 1990 Barry O Williams Determined by amount of dialogue between learner and instructor Amount of structure that exists in the design of the course More structure and less student teacher Dialog greater transactional distance Continuum of transactions Blurs the distinctions between conventional and distance programs Theoretical Constructs continued Saba and Shearer 1994 built on Moore s model As learner control and dialogue increase transactional distance decreases Implication for traditional classroom Integrated telecommunication systems may permit a greater variety of transactions to occur Barry O Williams Theoretical Constructs continued Interaction Moore 1989 Barry O Williams Learner instructor Learner content Learner learner Learner technology Hillman Hills and Gunawardena 1994 1 Theoretical Constructs continued Control Independence and learner control Barry O Williams Learners with internal locus of control more likely to persist in education Altmann Arambasich 1982 Rotter 1989 1 Theoretical Constructs continued Social Context How the social environment affects motivation attitudes teaching and learning Notion that technology is culturally neutral Social equality factor of the technology Barry O Williams 1 Theoretical Constructs continued Saba and Shearer 1994 built on Moore s model As learner control and dialogue increase transactional distance decreases Implication for traditional classroom Integrated telecommunication systems may permit a greater variety of transactions to occur Barry O Williams 1 Theoretical Constructs continued Interaction Moore 1989 Barry O Williams Learner instructor Learner content Learner learner Learner technology Hillman Hills and Gunawardena 1994 1 Theoretical Constructs continued Control Independence and learner control Barry O Williams Learners with internal locus of control more likely to persist in education Altmann Arambasich 1982 Rotter 1989 1 Theoretical Constructs continued Social Context How the social environment affects motivation attitudes teaching and learning Notion that technology is culturally neutral Social equality factor of the technology Barry O Williams 1 Theoretical Foundation of Distance Education No theory base for the field chaotic and confused No national policy No consensus among educators of the value the methodology or even the concept of distance education Barry O Williams 1 Theoretical Foundations continued Call to stop emphasizing points of difference and identify common educational problems Call for theoretic model based on constructivistic epistemology Distinctions blur between traditional and distance education settings Barry O Williams 1 4 Square Map of distance education technology options Adapted from R Johansen et al 1991 p 16 Different place Same time Same time Different place Any time Any place Different place Same time Emerging technologies Barry O Williams Same time Different place 1 Summary Astounding growth Glamorized by technology Poor conceptual framework Identified Essential Elements Interaction Moore 1989 4 Square Map of distance education technology options Barry O Williams 2