A Introduction of Computer Technology in Distance Education Programs

Technology has radically transformed degree programs and the courses offered a universities and colleges in Indiana. The introduction of computer technology in distance education programs promise powerful and complex transformations in the learning process, powerful because of the extraordinary capabilities digital technologies offer, and complex, a because of the high level of training necessary to utilize these technologies. The Web chatters geographical barriers to educational access, but it also may create new ones (Gladieux, 1999). Distance education has become a playing field, where colleges and universities compete to keep students current and to recruit new ones. If the university, in its traditional or distance form does not adapt to the possibilities of technology, competing structures will surely spring up that can and will perform tasks of the university (Hall,1995).

Statement of the Problem

In order for distance education programs to continue to succeed, improve and grow, student input about "access barrier issues" in response to existing and potential technology must be identified. The broad categories that distance learning students have had to grapple with are institutional barriers and individual student access barriers. The problem for investigation in this study will be the determination of these institutional and individual access barriers. The preliminary findings from this survey could be used to solicit new ideas to improve distant learning education experiences.

Purpose and Objectives

The major purpose of this will find specific student access barriers encountered by the students enrolled in Industrial Technology Education 394 Summer II (on-line) through survey research. The purpose of this proposed research will be to obtain information from, and assess perceptions of, Indiana State University students enrolled in ITE department courses, relative to access. It will survey the students experience while enrolled in Industrial Technology Education 394. This research will explore and describe problems and limitations with the goal to categorize them for the further purpose of recommending solutions.

1. Determine what types of access barriers (institutional or individual student) exist with respect to students enrolled in the ITE departmental programs

Categorize and rank order these barriers

Identify potential causes for these barrier

To recommend possible solutions

Statement of Need

Indiana State Universities ITE department currently (Spring 2000) has approximately 270 students enrolled part-time and full-time in three different majors in the Associate, Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. levels. It is estimated 90 percent of the students are taking at least one course with a distance delivery method. To this point, there has been little or no research at the University, though the division of lifelong learning has conducted short surveys of student satisfaction and obtained general demographic information about distance students

The results of this research will provide the ITE department with information specific to students enrolled in departmental courses and programs, with the goal of removing barriers and improving access.

Statement of Assumptions

Several threats to the validity of the instrumentation process in surveys can cause individuals to respond differently than they might otherwise. It is assumed that:

• 1. Industrial Technology Education students will respond accurately and honestly.
• 2. The student sample population accurately represents the ITE department average.
• 3. There were no technical difficulties answering the survey questions via Internet.

Methodology

Survey research is one of the most common forms of research engaged in by educational researchers. It involves researchers asking a large group of people questions about particular topic support issues, this asking of questions all related to the issue of interest is called a survey and they can be done in a number of ways, face-to-face individuals or group by mail or by telephone. Today this information can be obtained via the Internet email. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but obtaining answers from a large group of people to a set of carefully designed and administered questions lies at the heart of survey research. This study will rely on questionnaires to generate data for analysis.

Survey research and correlation research will be conducted to examine the relationship of responses to one question in a survey to another, or of the score based on one set of survey questions to a score based on another set. This proposed research project is interested in studying the relationship between ITE student responses about access barriers and Indiana State Universitys distance education program.

The proposed researcher will clearly define objectives in conducting the survey. Each question to be asked will relate to one or more of the surveys objectives. The hierarchical approach will be used. This approach begins with the broadest, most general questions, and ends with the most specific.

A hierarchical set of research questions will guide the proposed project to identify large categories of issues, suggest more specific issues within each category, and conceive possible questions. By determining whether a proposed question fits the purposes of the intended survey, researchers can eliminate those that do not. This is important sense the length of a surveys questionnaire or interview schedule is a crucial factor in determining the surveys success. (Fraeknkel, 1990).

Mode of Data Collection (Email)

An on-line electronic survey delivered by http://www.activefeed.com which is a free online survey/quiz Internet site, dedicated to helping teachers post surveys and quizzes for their Internet classes, will be used. The advantage of this method is that there is a pre-existing database of ISU students enrolled in Industrial Technology Education 394 mailing list available. Secondly, students who are currently participating in the class are more likely to respond to an email style survey since they are relatively simple to complete and can be returned quickly and inexpensively.

Statement of Limitations

• 1. The population is limited to the students enrolled in ITE 394 Summer term
• 2. The population characteristics may not generalize to populations of other distance education students.
• 3. There will be a lack of consensus on definitions, values, and priorities as related to universities, education and distance learning.
• 4. The pace of technological change is overwhelming

Terminology

ITE - Industrial Technology Education department major as taking a course the distance education delivery methods of IHETS, Internet or Correspondence.

IHETS - refers to the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System. A state-supported Consortium of public and private colleges and universities providing technology services, network operations, and facilitation of distance education in Indiana.