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| navigate: home: magazine: winter 1999: article | |
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Penn State hosts distance education leadership forum By Jeanne M. Williams | |||||||||
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Forty-eight distance education leaders from around the world met at Penn State last summer to talk about the issues and challenges facing institutions reviewing and implementing distance education initiatives. The intensive four-day Institute for Leadership in Distance Education brought together a diverse and unique group of participants from 30 universities and colleges, federal agencies, industries and organizations. Participants came from four countries, 22 states and nine cities in Pennsylvania. The institute was hosted by the American Center for the Study of Distance Education (ACSDE) in Penn State’s College of Education. It provided participants an opportunity to join faculty distance education experts and leading practitioners in the field to explore the critical leadership issues facing institutions and organizations undertaking distance education initiatives. Dr. Michael Moore, director of the American Center for the Study of Distance Education and editor of The American Journal of Distance Education, opened the institute with an analysis of the effects of the globalization of distance education. He said that with international agencies making substantial investments in education—and increasingly in distance technologies—distance education will provide new opportunities as well as new challenges for organizations. Moore challenged participants to look at the business strategies their organizations are undertaking in the area of distance education and referred to the strategies as the “Superstore,” “Chain store,” “Boutique” and “Consultancy” models. He encouraged leaders in these organizations to review the models and choose the one they could use most effectively to compete in the distance education arena. Four other institute leaders led workshops on distance education issues. Dr. Janet Poley, president and chief executive officer of A*DEC, a national consortium of state universities and land-grant institutions, focused on information about emerging learning environments. Dr. A.W. ‘Tony’ Bates, director of distance education and technology in Continuing Studies at the University of British Columbia, discussed technology and delivery of distance education. Dr. Chere Campbell Gibson, associate professor and chair of the Graduate Program in Continuing and Vocational Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, took a focused look at course design and learner issues affecting distance education. And Dr. Gary Miller, associate vice president for distance education and executive director of the Penn State World Campus, delved into the organizational and administrative issues involved in delivering distance education programs. The intent of the institute was to offer participants an intimate learning experience with the opportunity to interact with other participants as well as faculty presenters. Participants spent significant time in small working groups during the conference. To ensure this kind of experience, enrollment was capped at 48. Dr. Eugene Melander, associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Penn State and an institute participant, said, “The pace [of the Institute] was insistent but measured. The style was informal and flexible, but professionally interactive. Even on the [last] day, there was a remarkable level of energy and sustained focus on everyone’s part—faculty and participants alike.” The next Institute for Leadership in Distance Education is planned for July 25–29, 1999, at University Park campus. For information, contact Christopher Dufour, program developer, Outreach Office of Program Development, 403 Keller Building, University Park PA 16802; phone: (814) 865-7679; fax: (814) 865-3589; E-mail: cpd1@cde.psu.edu. | ||||||||
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