Reflective Essay on Theme III, Issue No. 4: Distributed
Learning
The distributed learning subcommittee of the theme III committee
attempted to answer two key questions regarding our campus:
How well have we defined, identified, sorted out and planned
for the needs of off-campus and media-assisted degree programs?
For a full report, click on the Distributed learning report.
(http://thewasc.csusb.edu/edueffrev/thm3/thm3iss4fr.htm)
CSUSB has had a distance learning presence since the 1980s
when one-way video, 2 way audio technologies were used to
send courses to the satellite location at Palm Desert (now
called the Palm Desert Campus PDC). While isolated courses
were offered through videoconferencing to PDC, there was not
a coordinated effort to deliver programs to students who were
unable to physically attend campus.
The Office of Distributed Learning (ODL) was founded in 1999
as a response to the need for a coordinated distance learning
effort. (http://odl.csusb.edu/)
Both the original and current directors of ODL were recruited
from among the faculty and were teachers with proven success
in implementing technology, which was important for the acceptance
and success of this venture. Shortly after the founding of
the office, the university was awarded a 5-year 2+ Million
dollar grant to augment the university's distance learning
and multimedia course delivery infrastructure.
During ODL's first three years of existence, large scale
efforts to make headway in offering courses and degree programs
to distant students were elusive. Reasons included: difficulties
with campus buy-in, unreliable technical infrastructure, coordination
of disparate organizations on campus, a lack of strategic
and implementation plans, lack of a comprehensive distance
learning policy, and a lack of courses available through distance
learning hampered.
Within the past two years several factors have contributed
to the mainstreaming of distance learning at CSUSB. Several
of the major developments are:
Our best estimate is that approximately 25% of the faculty
uses some sort of distance learning technologies in their
classes. The vast majority of these faculty members utilize
distance technologies as a supplement to traditional instruction.
The predominant platform is Blackboard, with WebCT also widely
used learning management system. Currently, approximately
300 course sections are housed on the Blackboard server each
quarter. Several faculty members also maintain their own web-instruction
sites or utilize third party solutions such as eCollege. Each
system has its advantages and advocates. Maintaining several
on-line learning software platforms is becoming more difficult
and costly; and this issue needs wider discussion and resolution.
The various way's faculty have used on-line material to enhance
classes has raised new issues in distance learning, or more
appropriately, distributed learning, as students' learning
is distributed between traditional forms and web-enhanced
forms of learning. Concurrently, therefore, we are enhancing
traditional courses and expanding distance learning course
and program offerings.
Assisted by federal funds, we are currently developing a
framework to offer years 3 and 4 of the liberal studies major
through a combination of videoconference and online learning.
We are also working toward development of an RN to BSN progression
in nursing. We are partnering with regional community colleges
on articulation agreements, enhancing transfer student services,
and videoconference receive site agreements.
Coordination of the disparate demands, prioritization, and
funding continue to be major considerations as our distance
learning offerings and web-enhanced course offerings continue
to blossom.
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