United States Distance Learning Association

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coast through by quietly sitting in the back of the room (Oblender & Glass, 2004). In online courses, discussion postings can become an integral part of the grade in addition to examinations, papers, or projects. The quality of the postings and responses from classmates as well as the mentor create a dialogue that contributes to forming a learning community in online courses. Students might not know each other by face or voice, since they don’t see each other face-to-face; however, they certainly feel that they can learn a lot about each other through online contributions and reactions to the readings and assignments. Discussion also allows students to apply knowledge they have as adults with life experiences. Typical traditional college students are 18 to 21 years old and have limited life experiences, unlike nontraditional adult students, who often possess a wealth of life experiences. Adult students bring a myriad of life experiences, of raising a family, running a business or working in industry; they bring a significant level of experience to class discussion and can often apply things happening in their office or workplace directly to the topic in discussion. PROVIDING NEEDED SUPPORT According to Manner (2003), providing nontraditional students the support needed to provide a level of technical competence is of vital importance for those students new to using computers and new to online instruction. Some nontraditional students who apply to TESC may have very little to no experience using a computer or using the Internet. TESC provides essential support services through their advising department; they are experts at using the Blackboard system, and are very familiar with what a student will face. Advising counselors can talk potential students through the MyEdison portal in real time via telephone or face-to-face, and in many cases going through a sample online course to have students preview what an online course will look like, what it’s like to post a reaction to an online reading, and what is necessary for them to complete an assignment. During the application process, applicants have access to the MyEdison portal to check on their application status; access is limited, of course, until enrollment status is granted. In addition, admission counselors can provide online and telephone support for an applicant if a student needs further help getting acclimated with Blackboard and using an online format. During classes, mentors also serve in an advising capacity; in addition to grading student work, if a student is challenged by the technology, one of the mentor’s jobs is to make sure students grasp what they have to do next. While classes are held online with students posting assignments via the MyEdison/Blackboard portal, to assure student identity and alleviate claims of cheating, students must take a proctored written exam for most courses. The testing takes place at sites throughout the country and all over the world, as needed. Some classes are now offering an online test capacity, while most still offer a pencil-and-paper proctored test. Another online program designed at TESC is called e-PAK. Suited for the independent learner, it is a combination online course and final examination with virtually no mentor supervision. Technical assistance for those unsure of their skills can still avail themselves of assistance via the advising department. Students progress through a sequential series of quizzes on a particular topic. These quizzes help the student prepare for a final examination. Students receive immediate feedback by reviewing quiz responses they answered incorrectly and are provided with the right answers; they then retake a different version of the quiz so that the new knowledge that they have learned can be applied. Students cannot take the next quiz in the sequence until they pass a quiz for the Volume 4, Issue 4 Distance Learning 59
prior failed section. The e-PAK courses are very popular with military students who often do not have the time to take part in a 12- to 16-week online course. Guided study courses provide yet another method for students to earn credit. Students work independently using texts, study guides, video/audio recordings or streamed multi-media to complete assignments. Students can communicate with assigned mentors for subject matter questions or additional information. Again, a proctored midterm and final exam completes the assessment process. What makes TESC unique in today’s crowded distance learning marketplace is the variety of programs that are offered to the adult student. In addition to a fair credit transfer policy allowing credits previously earned at regionally accredited colleges and universities, Thomas Edison also reviews prior learning in a process called prior learning assessment. When students inquire about prior learning assessment or earning credit for what they have learned outside of the classroom, they begin a rigorous discussion with an academic mentor. It is not for someone looking for a shortcut; it is, however, for the student who does not want to take the time and spend the money to go through a course in which they already know the material. Students develop an electronic portfolio under a mentor’s guidance that document mastery of specific subject material linked to course objectives and learning outcomes. Today, over half of the students enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the country are over the age of the traditional student. The nontraditional student is usually over the age of 22, and over 40% of them are over the age of 25. The typical student attending Thomas Edison State College is 40 years old, and might be a member of the mobile work force from a wide cross section of employment—police officers, fire fighters, military, business managers, chief executive officers, secretaries, and even homemakers. Flexibility is a key ingredient in distance education that makes higher education accessible for those learners unable to overcome time and distance constraints caused by responsibilities of life. STUDENT PERSPECTIVES After graduating high school in 1996, Shanika, a soft-spoken 18-year-old, attended an out-of-state traditional university for 1½ years. Like many teenagers, Shanika wanted to become independent from her parents, but ultimately left college due to extreme homesickness. She then transferred to a local university close to home, but was overwhelmed by large lecture-hall courses. Shanika did not feel secure enough to raise her hand to even ask questions, and fell behind quickly. The instructional environment was not conducive for her learning or success; or perhaps she, like many 18- to 20-year-olds, was not mature enough for the college experience. After entering the workforce and getting married, she realizing that only additional education would allow for job advancement. Shanika tried reentering higher education via evening classes at a local college, but found it very difficult to balance family, work, and school. In the fall of 2004, while unfamiliar with distance education or TESC, she tried an online class and found an environment that would offer the encouragement, support and, most importantly, the flexibility of time that would fit higher education into her life. Shanika is now married with three children under the age of 8 and has attained her dream of earning a bachelor’s degree prior to her 10-year anniversary of graduating from high school. Thomas Edison’s credit transfer policy and flexible distance education programs allowed her to complete a bachelor’s degree by utilizing credits earned at multiple institutions as well as use the variety of distance programs offered at TESC to earn her degree online without the time constraints of traditional 60 Distance Learning Volume 4, Issue 4
Page 2 and 3:
DISTANCE LEARNING FEATURED ARTICLES
Page 4 and 5:
DISTANCE LEARNING MAGAZINE SPONSORE
Page 6 and 7:
SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE Barriers and the
Page 8 and 9:
THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW ECONOMY A de
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Table 4. Rank Order of the 10 Facto
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ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE STRATEGI
Page 14 and 15: Table 5. Solutions to Barriers to D
Page 16 and 17: Table 5. Continued Social Interacti
Page 18 and 19: management. In L. Lau (Ed.) Distanc
Page 20 and 21: compensation, incentives and releas
Page 22 and 23: Pedagogy --Course Development --Cou
Page 24 and 25: Quality in Distance Education A Tri
Page 26 and 27: ability to understand and apply tec
Page 28 and 29: CONSTITUENCIES IN DISTANCE EDUCATIO
Page 30 and 31: control and responsibility for the
Page 32 and 33: Kirtley, K. E. (2002). A study of s
Page 34 and 35: Distance Education in the Public Hi
Page 36 and 37: distance education courses and Inte
Page 38 and 39: need, in a distance education class
Page 40 and 41: Using IT-Based Distance Education f
Page 42 and 43: to participate and share and exchan
Page 44 and 45: to a teacher and get to get filled
Page 46 and 47: Online High School Courses Preventi
Page 48 and 49: students. Fourth, a program that in
Page 50 and 51: independently (November, 2001). Thi
Page 52 and 53: tion. Both classes had a 100% compl
Page 54 and 55: that allow instructors and students
Page 56 and 57: own graduate experience as being fa
Page 58 and 59: tional delivery. The knowledge that
Page 60 and 61: APPENDIX B: WIMBA LIVE CLASSROOM IN
Page 62 and 63: Access to College for Nontraditiona
Page 66 and 67: institutions. According to Shanika,
Page 68 and 69: Distance Education at the Universit
Page 70 and 71: Figure 1. UF/IFAS IT’s relationsh
Page 72 and 73: Figure 2. IFAS 2005-06 operating bu
Page 74 and 75: ida Division of Continuing Educatio
Page 76 and 77: Institute of Food and Agricultural
Page 78 and 79: Learning Objects What Are They, and
Page 80 and 81: Table 1. Goals of Learning Object D
Page 82 and 83: easoning as to how they are built,
Page 84 and 85: INTERVIEW The Perils and Promise of
Page 86 and 87: 4. Limiting the enrollment in dista
Page 88 and 89: esponsibility to make sure that thi
Page 90 and 91: ence since it did not figure in the
Page 92 and 93: INTERVIEW Here Come the Marines! An
Page 94 and 95: demonstrate, within a set of proced
Page 96 and 97: and this is significant, the Corps
Page 98 and 99: Ends and Means Developing a Digital
Page 100 and 101: artifacts one wants to include in t
Page 102 and 103: New Media, New Learning School for
Page 104 and 105: And Finally … continued from page
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United States Distance Learning Association

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