Introduction

CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION

Dr. Bizhan Nasseh
Ball Sate University
Muncie, Indiana, 1996
The National Information Infrastructure (NII), proposed by the Clinton-Gore Administration, creates a major opportunity and challenge for the higher education community. NII represents a powerful new linkage of computer, video, and telecommunications technologies, with the potential to reach every home, school, and work-place in the United States and in the world (Educom, 1994). In order to create a reengineered environment for teaching and learning, a National Learning Infrastructure is designed to support an information age pedagogical model in which learning can occur anytime and anyplace for anybody (Twigg, 1994).

In response to the need for a National Information Infrastructure, Access Indiana, a public-private partnership with a state-wide information system, will be operational in 1996. This new partnership will make computer-based distance learning even more accessible for the Indiana population. Lynne Schrum (1994) in her research concluded that in computer-based education it is important that the learner has technological skills so that they are comfortable with computers. The computer competency level of distance education students and the ability of universities to provide and facilitate computer-based courses are essential elements for the success of this new paradigm of learning. Because of the lack of experience with distance learning, faculty and students may greet the use of computer and telecommunication tools with trepidation and anxiety (Lucy, 1993).

Universities in Indiana have been offering computer- based distance education for the last few years, with the hope of extending university access to a wider audience and a new generation of learners. Success of distance education programs in universities lies in the capability of new learners to find information, participate in the learning process, and use computer technology in student-centered curricula (Twigg, 1994).

The present study evaluated a sample of computer-based distance education students and teachers in different universities in Indiana by collecting data from 50 to 100 students enrolled in computer-based courses and 15 to 20 teachers who taught computer-based distance education classes in Indiana. The focus was on the learning experiences of computer-based distance education students and teachers in the utilization of computer mediated communication in Indiana's higher education institutions.

Statement of Problem

During the past two decades, dramatic shifts have occurred in who is learning, as well as when and where they are learning (Twigg, 1994). Miller (1996) wrote, "over 35 million in the United States ages 16 and over used on-line services or the Internet in the first three months of 1996, students comprise 20% (6.8 million) of the on-line population"; these findings were announced in 1996 by Sharples, president of IntellQuest, a research company and Internet/on-line Tracking Service. The increase in the number of students using the Internet is tremendous, but a few studies have focused on how successful distance education students and faculty are as they utilize the computer-based delivery system in Indiana or the rest of the United States. Lack of the technical knowledge needed to access networks, resources, hardware, and software is a potential barrier to distance learning by computer mediated communication (Berge, 1995). In Indiana, the citizens, business leaders, and labor leaders all consider continuing education experiences by distance education as extremely important to both personal and career advancement of Indiana residents (Vargus & Gavette, 1993). Whether the competency level of our distance education students and teachers in Indiana was adequate for a successful computer-based teaching and learning program was the main problem that was addressed in the present study. In addition, the study tried to determine the characteristics of participants in the computer-based distance education, their motivation for participation, concerns and advantages of computer-based distance education, and training and support programs in computer-based distance education.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to identify the computer literacy levels of distance education teachers and students who have used computers as a primary means of communication, teaching, and learning in computer-based classes. Other questions answered by this study included the following:

Identified characteristics (age, gender, level of education, and marital status) of participants in the computer-based distance education.
Identified the motivation for participation in the computer-based classes.
Assessed the training and support needs of the computer-based education.
Identified the concerns and advantages of computer-based distance education.

The study of the existing level of the computer competency of distance education students and teachers using computer-based instruction will help to guide future planning and maximize the effectiveness of computer-based courses. The future of computer-based education seems very promising in Indiana (IHETS, 1995), and this study can help in discovering successes and barriers in access to the resources and to identify problems with the computer competency level of this new generation of students and teachers in the computer-based educational model.

The study provided data about the characteristics, computer competency levels, and educational successes of distance education students who have participated in computer-based classes. Also, data were gathered from teachers who taught computer-based distance education classes in a variety of disciplines from different universities in Indiana. The study also provided secondary data about needs and problems related to the communication, support, problem solving, and other concerns of students and teachers who participate in the computer-based education.

Research Methodology

The participants in this study were enrolled students in computer-based classes around the state of Indiana and the teachers who taught computer-based classes, which were sponsered by higher educational institutions in Indiana. In addition to Indiana residents, the study included the out- of-state students who were registered in computer-based, distance education classes offered by universities in Indiana.

The study used survey methodology to collect data from two major sources: students who registered in the computer- based classes and teachers who taught those classes. In addition personal interviews with some experts in computer, network, communication, and distance education were conducted to obtain information about the utilization of computers as the only means of delivery in teaching and learning. The survey was available on paper and the World Wide Web for all the participants in this study.

The researcher obtained permission and cooperation from Kay Hodson, Coordinator Instructional and Computer Resources in the School of Nursing, Ball State University, for field testing of the designed questionnaire with students who were registered in computer-based courses in the Summer 1996 and with faculty who have taught distance education computer- based classes. Field testing provided valuable information about the validity of the instrument and gathered helpful comments for improvement of the instrument. In addition to the field test, inputs from the doctoral committee members and the research designer from University Computing Services provided valuable assistance in the final design of the instrument.

Descriptive research methodology was used to describe the characteristics of the participants and to summarize the collected data. The t Test procedure was used to compare concerns and advantages of computer-based distance education from teachers’ and students’ prespectives.

ORACLE, a relational database management system on the VAX computer system was used for collecting and storing data. Some of the primary analysis was done by ORACLE, and more detailed analysis was conducted using SPSSX, a statistical package on the VAX computer system.

Importance of the Study

Educators often divide the use of instructional computer technology in distance education into three categories: (a) conferencing (e-mail, group discussion), (b) informatics (library access, information transfer), and (c) computer-assisted instruction (Brege & Collins, 1995). In computer-centered distance education, the computer is the only means of communication and delivery system. The study of the computer and telecommunication experiences of the students and teachers in the computer-based classes could be valuable for future planning and designing of computer-based classes. Vargus and Gavette (1993) in their research report of Indiana's distance education wrote, "Our research reveals a market for post-secondary education in nine counties of approximately 80,000 distance education students. Of these students, 6,000 expressed a strong interest in computer- based classes." This research was reported in 1993, and in the last two years the development of communication technology and network providers have greatly influenced the increase in the demand for computer-based classes in Indiana (Estep & Hodson, 1995). The state legislature and Higher Education Commission have asked, in several ways, all components of higher education to explore new means of service, delivery techniques, problems evaluation, and accessibility to post secondary resources for all Hoosiers (Vargus & Gavette, 1993). However, virtually no empirical research has been done in the area of computer-based education which is offered by higher educational institutions in Indiana.

Distance learning is a means to educational and societal good--we must shift from the conventional paradigm of courses and convenient delivery to a primary focus on societal good (Barker, 1993; Drucker, 1994; Kaufman, 1992). There exists a great need for knowledge about the characteristics of participants, the barriers they face, teachers' competencies, and the levels of competency of distance education students in using computer, computer applications, and communication tools. The results of this study can provide dependable information for universities, state officials, Indiana citizens, and internet providers. This information can help all the above groups in the planning, designing, training, supporting, and implementing of computer-based classes. The results also can provide information about further needs for research in this field.

Assumptions and Limitations of the Study

The major assumption operating in this study was that the participants had a basic mastery of the competencies related to the operation of the computer-based distance education such as dial up and communication to computer resources such as e-mail, OPAC, and World Wide Web. Wolf (1988) suggests that questionnaires are based on the three assumptions:

The respondent reads and understand the questions or items.
The respondent processes the information to answer the questions or items.
The respondent answers the questions or items honestly (p. 479).

The field test provided opportunity to test those assumptions in the developmental work of the instrument.

Limitations refer to restrictions in the study over which researchers have no control (Rudestam & Newton, 1992). The major limitations of this study need to be cited:

The study was based on voluntary participation of distance education students who are taking computer- based classes with universities in Indiana. Hence the generalization of the results to the other states may be limited. The similarity of the purposes for taking classes, the means of delivery, and the teaching and learning resources, will improve the possibility of national level generalization of this study.
The sample was limited to all those who voluntarily participated, completed, and returned questionnaires by mail or e-mail.
The participation was limited to those students in the computer-based courses and teachers who accessed and operated World Wide Web(WWW) in order to complete questionnaires. The participation was also dependent on the teachers' willingness to distribute the questionnaires to those distance education students who cannot access and operate the World Wide Web version of the survey. There were no age limitations for participation and all

the participants in the study were students who registered in the computer-based classes or teachers who teach these classes which were offered by one of the colleges and universities in the Indiana.

Definition of Terms

For the purposes of the study, the following terms have been defined.
Access Indiana - - A public-private partnership with a state-wide information system that is accessible to all Indiana residents by 1996.
Asynchronous Communication - - A communication method which does not require sender and receiver simultaneously be present at their computers for communication, such as e-mail and bulletin board. This is a time independent communication method.
Computer-based Courses - - The process of teaching and learning is designed based on the capabilities of computer and telecommunication, including course content, student responses to assignments, communication, and access to learning resources.
Computer Mediated Communication - - The name given to a large set of functions in which computers are used to support human communication (Berg, 1995).
Distance Education - - The process that delivers interactive and responsive learning opportunities to learners at a time, place, and in a form appropriate and convenient to learners (Roger Kaufman, 1995). In this study, the communication will be limited to communication by computer.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) - - A language which describes the general structure of various kinds of documentation on the World Wide Web.
Level of Competency - - A level of computer competency which enables students to communicate and connect to a university's computer resources. It also enables students to access some of the Internet applications such as e-mail and World Wide Web.
National Information Infrastructure - - A network of networks, representing a powerful new linkage of computer, video, and telecommunication technologies with the potential to reach every home, school, and work-place in the U.S.A. and in the world (Educom, 1994). In this study, The application is limited to the ones for communication such as e-mail and for information access such as World Wide Web.
National Learning Infrastructure - - A learning infrastructure to facilitate technology-mediated learning in the higher educational institutions.
Pedagogical Model - - The art and science of the design of the process of teaching and learning in a teacher-centered environment.
Student-centered - - In this method, after receiving direction from the teacher, students make all the decisions about process of learning.
Synchronous Communication - - A communication method which requires sender and receiver simultaneously be present at their computers for communication, such as Netscape Chat and VAXphone. This is a time dependent communication method.
World Wide Web (WWW) - - It is an information system on the Internet based on hypertext that offers a great power for an information search and delivery system. The current feature of WWW includes text, sound, graphics and video. In this study, the utilization could be limited to text only.

Summary and Organizational Study

The major factors in the explosion of distance education are the invasion of technology in the work-places, the development of communication technology, and the necessity of updating the existing competency. The National Information Infrastructure, a powerful new linkage of computers, video, and telecommunications provides the opportunity of education and learning for every citizen of the United States. The National Learning Infrastructure, a corporation-higher education partnership, will provide a new opportunity and vision in the utilization of technology in teaching and learning. Access Indiana has the potential to bring education to every home and office of residents of the state of Indiana. In adult education, computer-based classes are a very practical way of facilitating learning in a content-centered environment without the dependence on time and place.

This research tried to answer some of the questions such as the characteristics of students in the computer- based classes, the competency level of students and teachers, the satisfaction of students with computer-based distance education, the concerns and advantages of the computer-based distance education, and the teacher's role and contribution in this new educational model.

The study consisted of five chapters and a selected bibliography and appropriate appendices. Chapter I included the introduction to the study, the statement of the problem, the purpose of the study, the research methodology, the importance of the study, the assumption and limitation of the study, the definition of the terms, and the summary and organization of the study.

Chapter II provided a review of the history of the distance education in the United States, the related literature in the United States and Indiana with emphasis on the role of computers in education, the existing problems, and the needs in the computer-based education. Chapter II also reviewed the literature related to the reasons for participation in the computer-based classes by distance education students.

Chapter III provided information about the results of the field test, the methods used to collect the data, the rationale for selecting descriptive research method. It also described the sample and the statistical research methods used to analyze the collected data.

Chapter IV provided a detailed report of collected data, results of statistical analysis and Oracle Database Management System, and a report of all other findings.

Chapter V provided the conclusion of study, the implication of the results may have in the field, the definition of new needs and problems, and the recommendations for further research in this field.

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