LuAnn Jordan

Student Ratings of Instruction in Distance Learning and On-Campus Classes

Abstract Student ratings in 2 special education courses offered on campus and off campus using different means of instruction, including electronic media, were compared. Ratings also were compared when distance classes were taught at local and remote facilities. End-of-course student evaluations were examined using a counterbalanced design. A comparison of outcome measures revealed no difference in the overall course means. Outcome measures for on-campus students versus off-campus students for the 2 courses were examined, but no differences were found in the overall ratings. Course, instructor, teaching, and communication ratings were similar across settings and courses. Implications for future research in evaluating instruction at a distance are suggested.

Distance Education and Special Education: Promises, Practices, and Potential Pitfalls

Shortages of trained personnel in special education are widely recognized. This need typically translates to special education programs as efforts to increase the numbers of professionals who are appropriately prepared to teach students with disabilities. The difficulty of increasing on-campus sections to respond effectively to the escalating need for more and better trained teachers, has in some cases led to an increased emphasis on alternative ways to deliver required course work. Distance learning is one such alternative. Distance learning can be defined as the separation of the learner from the instructor in location (learner and instructor in different rooms or at different sites), and, in some instances, by time. The promise of distance learning offers an attractive alternative for increasing the numbers of appropriately prepared special education personnel by making college-level instruction easier to receive. Current practices support synchronous communication (e.g., two-way audio, two-way video in real time, or two-way audio, one-way video in real time) and asynchronous communication (E-mail, or the Asynchronous Learning Network which does not necessarily occur in real time but at varying times depending on participants needs). Although it is possible to increase enrollments via distance learning, professionals recognize that there are some potential problems as well. If careful planning and course delivery are not clearly articulated students at remote sites can feel as if they are not part of the whole and that the education they are receiving is substandard. This article reviews promises, practices, and pitfalls associated with distance learning in an effort to inform special education professionals about this increasingly popular personnel preparation alternative.

A Comparison of Large Lecture, Fully Online, and Hybrid Sections of Introduction to Special Education.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of flexible learning options at a university serving multiple geographic areas (including remote and rural areas) and age groups by teaching an introduction to special education course to three large groups of pre-teacher education majors using three modes of instruction. The university offered sections as (a) a traditional large lecture class, (b) a fully online asynchronous course, and (c) a hybrid course with lecture and asynchronous online instruction. Data analysis centered on course performance, perceptions of instructional effectiveness, and perceptions of preparedness for future role as teachers of students with special needs. The researchers noted no statistically significant differences in students’ perceptions of instructional effectiveness; however, the presumed attractiveness of the flexibility of online instruction did not appear to extend to traditional undergraduates who required more support in developing personal responsibility and organizational strategies. Results also indicated that face-to-face interactions with instructors positively impacted perceptions of preparedness for teaching.

Life beyond the Large City: A Distance Education Program in Learning Disabilities at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Continuing shortages of qualified personnel in special education is a relatively well-known phenomenon, and delivery of teacher education in rural areas is especially problematic. First, students live a far distance from the university campus. Second, they may be “learning on the run,” that is, beginning their career in special education with little preparation for their job. Finally, these students may have family responsibilities that make attending classes that much more difficult. The distance education program at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Charlotte serves rural areas around the metropolitan area of Charlotte, NC. UNC-Charlotte offers a series of courses through the interactive fiber optic North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH). Because of this program, students from the Charlotte area and surrounding counties have access to professional preservice preparation that will improve their teaching skills and the quality of services provided by teachers who are teaching “out of field.” This paper describes the distance education project at UNC-Charlotte in terms of background of the project, technology used, and faculty and student training for using the distance education technology. Initial evaluation data also are presented. Implications for program development are discussed.

Improving Content and Technology Skills in ADD/ADHD via a Web-Enhanced Course

Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) create concerns in public education and in teacher education programs. Because of continuous advances in technology, distance learning is a viable option for delivering coursework to preservice and inservice teacher education students challenged by geography, time constraints, professional responsibilities, family considerations, and similar obstacles. This study presents results of using Internet-based applications to enhance teacher preparation to better serve students with ADD/ADHD. Surveys addressing ADD/ADHD concepts and technology skills were administered to graduate students in a web-enhanced course. The focus of the course to the prepare general and special education teachers to learn to use higher-end technology while gaining important understanding in the growing area of ADD/ADHD. The data indicated that the online course was effective in helping students to feel more knowledgeable of ADD/ADHD concepts and skills; in addition, the students increased their efficacy in certain areas of technology.

Book Reviews: Distance Zearnangm The Essential Guide Marcia L. Williams, Kenneth Paprock, & Barbara Covington Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1999. 166 pp.

addressed directly, it is not difficult for us to generalize how the excitement and apprehension associated with emerging technologies can affect the process of preservice and inservice teacher development in general or special education. Clearly, the time has come for us to engage in a systematic and objective consideration of how these technologies will ultimately affect the quality of the teachers we prepare and the students they serve. Richard Katz and Associates have given us much to think about.