Reshaping distance education – returning the student to centre stage

Reshaping distance education – returning the student to centre stage

Teachers in higher education are confronted with a confusing and fragmented range of learning and teaching models for learners who are not traditional on-campus students attending regularly scheduled face-to-face classes. Terms such as online learning, e-learning, open learning, blended learning, networked learning and flexible learning confuse the issues that relate to learning at a distance, and distract educators from the timeless principles that underpin teaching and learning. This paper examines the development of guidelines intended to assist in the future reshaping of a coursework Master’s program in project management offered at a regional university.
Using a postgraduate coursework project management program as a case study an holistic exploration has been carried out of the critical issues associated with teaching and learning at a distance, with a focus on the three layers of the institutional environment, the pedagogical frameworks and the learning setting of the actual students. The research methodology and design are discussed and the outcomes are presented to provide guidance for educational administrators, teachers and learners. Consistent with the research project objectives, the major outcome of this study is an holistic framework of distance education learning principles for higher education (DELPHE) as a meaningful tool for reshaping postgraduate distance education learning and teaching models.

Paper made not accessible at author's request, due to it being subsequently published in a book. Co-published by Distance Education Hub (DEHub) / Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA)www.dehub.edu.au/summit2011