Sajjad Awan, a PhD scholar at DTSC Khushab, presented on problems and issues in distance education. He defined problems as difficult things requiring solutions and issues as points of debate. Some key problems discussed included concerns over instruction quality, cost effectiveness, misuse of technology, equipment problems, and instructor and student attitudes. Issues included lack of technological literacy, challenges with program evaluation and accreditation, focusing too much on technology over content, alienating instructors, difficulties with non-native language instruction, lack of institutional support, regional focus issues, and copyright concerns. The presentation aimed to explain these challenges to improve distance education.

1. Sajjad Awan PhD Scholar TE
DTSC Khushab
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2. WELCOME
BY Sajjad Ahmad Awan PhD Research
Scholar
Sajjad Awan PhD Scholar TE
DTSC Khushab
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3. Problems and Issues
in
Distance Education

4. OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENTATION
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To define the terms ‘Problem’ and ‘Issue’
To explain the problems of Distance Education by
focusing on:
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Quality Of Instruction
Cost Effectiveness
Misuse Of Technology
The Role Of Technicians
Problems With Equipment
Attitudes Towards Distance Learning
Instructor Concerns
Student Concerns

5. OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENTATION

To explain the issues of Distance Education by
converging on: Technological Literacy - Including Computer
Literacy
 Program Evaluation and Accreditation
 Losing the Content in the Technology
 Alienating Instructors

Non-Native Language Instruction

Institutional Support for Distance Learners
Increasing Regional Focus
Copyright Issues
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

6. ‘PROBLEM’ & ‘ISSUE’ DEFINED
Problem
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A doubtful or difficult material requiring a
solution
Something hard to understand or accomplish or
deal with
Issue

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A point in question
An important subject of debate
(The Australian Oxford Dictionary, 2004)

7. PROBLEMS OF
DISTANCE
EDUCATION
Sajjad Awan PhD Scholar TE DTSC Khushab
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8. QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION
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Depends on the attitude of the administration and
the instructors
Administration’s belief that the technology itself will
improve the quality of the class
Issue is not technology itself, but how it is used in
the design and delivery of courses
Instructor’s understanding of the needs of the
students, and an understanding of the target
population is required
(Omoregie,
1997)

9. QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION
 Decision makers view distance programs as second
rate, a “necessary but deficient form of education”
 Academic departments have no strong mandates to
adjust their curriculum and instruction to fit distance
learning beyond cursory cooperation
 Off campus instructors to be “a demoralized bunch,
perceiving poor working conditions, isolation,
personal and professional deprivation”
 Administration and instructors lack in true
commitment which is bound to have a negative
influence on the entire distance learning experience
(Sherritt, 1996)

10. COST EFFECTIVENESS
 Potential cost-effectiveness of using online
technologies in distance education is uncertain
Phelps (1991)
 A program may be efficient but not cost effective if the
outputs do not contribute to the program objectives
Atkinson (1983)
 Cost of online courses is considerably more
expensive, if implemented as a primary teaching
medium instead of an enhancement
Caffarella (1992)

11. COST EFFECTIVENESS
 Live instruction with the instructor traveling to the
remote site can compress the class into fewer weeks,
is one-third the cost of any other alternative
 The startup costs, maintenance costs, and personnel
costs be factored in to arrive at a true cost for a
distance-learning program
(Carr, 2001)
 The costs associated with training technicians and
instructors should not be overlooked, the staff
delivering the instruction should be well trained

12. MISUSE OF TECHNOLOGY
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The possibility of not utilizing all its potential
Problems arise from a lack of training, some from the
instructor’s attitudes about using the technology, and still
others by hardware problems
Administration may feel that the technology itself will
improve the course
The best distance education practices depend on
creative, well-informed instructors
(Greenberg,1998)
Instructors must be trained not only to use technology,
but also to shift the way in which they organize and
deliver material
(Palloff & Pratt, 2000)

13. THE ROLE OF TECHNICIANS
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Technicians can indirectly influence the learning
environment by “orientating participants to the technology,
reducing the anxiety of the participants” (including the
instructor), “and by advising the instructor on instructional
techniques”
(Olenski, 1995)
Technicians can see a difference in superiority of the
instructors who adapt their styles to the technology, and
those who do not
(Olenski, 1995)
Instructors need to adapt to the educational environment,
they must also adapt to another person in the room that
can help or hinder the delivery of the lesson
Much of the outcome depends on the attitude of the
instructor

14. PROBLEMS WITH EQUIPMENT
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A great detriment to the effectiveness of distance learning
If there are too many instances, the entire course can be
affected
Unanticipated technical problems with the system can shorten
the class time and discussion that may negatively affect the
overall quality of the presentation
(Teaster and Bliesner,1999)
Failure of the hardware can be a very frustrating thing for all
involved in distance learning
 For the technician, the frustration and inability to keep the
class running smoothly may affect the instructor’s view of
their competency, causing friction
 For the student, an inability to get a flow to the class can
hinder the learning process
 Students used to the traditional face-to-face instruction and
not having a tolerance for ambiguity, will have a difficult time

15. ATTITUDES TOWARDS
DISTANCE LEARNING
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Instructor must be properly trained and motivated to be effective
An instructor must have technological skills and confidence to
use all of the various electronic devices
Instructors must also change the manner in which information is
delivered
While lecture does not work well, multimedia presentations are
successful
(Weber 1996)
“To effectively bridge the gaps between classroom and distance
teaching, faculty need to look at the distance teaching from the
students’ point of view”. The faculty must also be aware of getting
instructional materials, handouts, tests, and other class items to
both sites simultaneously
(Walcott1994)
Instructors to develop a sense of community between the sites,
achieve maximum participation, and get the participants to buy in
to the process

16. ATTITUDES TOWARDS
DISTANCE LEARNING
 The idea of learning as a collaborative process is very important
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when students are separated by distance
Instructors to have adaptations they need to make to the
technology
An instructor used to visual cues may find it difficult to adapt to a
situation such as compressed video
The students at the remote site are not always in clear view of
the instructor
McKnight (2000) contends that proximity and eye contact are
important factors in education that are limited in the distance
learning environment
Professors are unable to observe the emotions of the students
and cannot detect “moments of anxiety”
Inability to respond to student needs
Lack of feeling of a true class among students
(Hiltz & Wellman, 1997)

17. INSTRUCTOR CONCERNS
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Concerns about how it will change their role in
education
A moderately positive attitude about distance learning
in general, but moderately negative attitudes about
their own use of it
Clark (1993)
Reliance too much on distance-learning techniques,
the discipline would “risk losing our collective soul in
the rush to convenience, cost-effectiveness, and
accountability”
Gober (1998)
Knowledge and course design skill in the material
may be out of their access

18. INSTRUCTOR CONCERNS
 Administration may hire less skilled, and cheaper,
workers to deliver the technologically prepackaged
course
 Rewards may not always be there for the good
distance-learning instructor
(Noble, 1998)
 Tenure and promotion usually do not recognize
excellent off campus teaching
(Sherritt, 1996)
 Many of the instructors concerns are valid and should
be addressed by administration

19. STUDENT CONCERNS
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Not all students are suited to this type of learning
Not all subjects are best taught via this medium
More mature students are the most likely to find success
with distance learning
Successful student needs to have a number of
characteristics such as tolerance for ambiguity, a need
for autonomy, and an ability to be flexible
(Threkeld & Brzoska, 1994)
Distance learning requires students to be more focused,
better time managers, and to be able to work
independently and with group members
Hardy and Boaz (1997)

20. STUDENT CONCERNS
 Many distance learners are already in professions
 Distance education students need to feel a part of a virtual
learning community
Greenburg (1998)
 Student feel less pressure to perform individually, and more
pressure to collaborate and be part of the team
(Kantor, 1998 cited in Greenberg, 1998)
 Students also need the attention of the instructors. In a situation
where eye contact and proximity are limited, students cannot be
disciplined nor affirmed by eye contact and body language
(McKnight, 2000)
 Students may also have a difficult time reading the reactions of
the remote location class members due to lack of interaction

21. ISSUES OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION
Sajjad Awan PhD Scholar TE DTSC Khushab
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22. TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY INCLUDING COMPUTER LITERACY
 The target population will require training in
the use of the tools, and so will the providers
 Instructors will need focused training in order
to make effective use of the technologies
involved

23. PROGRAM EVALUATION
AND ACCREDITATION
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Ensuring that distance education programs be
as well developed as their in-house counterparts
Mechanisms to be developed for faculty
evaluation of programs originating at their
institutions
Need to have standards for course evaluation
and program accreditation
Successful programs be re-evaluated before
implementing in different environment
(Mugridge, 1991)

24. LOSING THE CONTENT
IN THE TECHNOLOGY
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Need to avoid simply providing information,
rather than instruction
Avoid simply transmitting lectures through
this new medium
Do not focus on the technology rather than
the instructional design and support
(Douglas, 1993)

25. ALIENATING INSTRUCTORS
 Faculty to be involved in the whole process
,esp to reduce costs
 Distance education technologies should not
be alternatives to teaching
 Failing to address these issues can lead to
significant faculty rejection of the proposals,
and may include Union confrontation (
DeLoughry 1995 - Distance learning...Maine)

26. NON-NATIVE LANGUAGE
INSTRUCTION
 Many of the tools available, whether on the
Internet or not, have severe limitations in their
ability to accommodate non-native language
instruction
 2-byte character systems like Chinese are
especially problematic
 Slowly becoming less of an issue on the
Internet as standards begin to coalesce

27. INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
FOR DISTANCE LEARNERS
 Course content is just one element of the
education, the institutions provide
 Need to provide with similar support to that
received by on-campus users
 Include everything from full library support to
academic counselling - in addition to more
mundane administrative assistance
(Jacobsen 1994)

28. INCREASING REGIONAL FOCUS
 It is not credible to expect that learners who are a
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dozen time zones apart will be interested in
participating in live programs
Offer sessions tailored to the needs of students in
specific areas
Regional consortia or education hubs may begin to
form
Danger of becoming isolated from the more global
learning environment
In most cases there will be benefit in designing
programs
Involve the learner in discussion and collaboration with
those outside their immediate circle of fellow
'classmates'

29. COPYRIGHT ISSUES
 Many questions of copyright in an electronic
environment remain unanswered
 It is important to examine the goals and
intentions of the program
 Make sure that the necessary clearances
have been obtained as needed

30. ?

31. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH
Sajjad Awan PhD Scholar TE DTSC Khushab
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