Revisiting Distance Education’s Symphonic Legacy: Still Crazy After All These Years or Getting Better (All the Time) Dr. Don Olcott, Jr., Western Oregon University Dr. Muriel Oaks, Washington State University Dr. Bill McCaughan, Oregon State University 2005 UCEA West Conference September 29, 2005 Portland, Oregon

Lessons from the Past: Questions for the Future

Teaching and Learning Distance education must be defined by its value as a teaching and learning tool rather than by the use of educational technology for its own sake. How do we measure the impact of distance education for enhancing teaching and improving learning? Have we accomplished this goal?

The Financial Enigma The financial continuum of distance education is an enigma for most institutions. Some institutions see distance education as a self-sustaining, income producing activity. Others integrate these courses and enrollments into their regular institutional funding system. What are the potential implications of these trends for continuing education and institutions in general?

Education is Education is Education Education is education is education regardless of where, when, how, and what pace, and through which medium it is delivered. As technology is increasingly integrated (mainstreamed) into the delivery of instruction to campus-based students, will the differences between campus and distance students remain, diminish, or disappear?

Competition Distance education costs money to develop, sustain and expand. Can traditional institutions, that remain tied to obsolete academic policies, procedures, and timelines, continue to compete successfully with for-profit institutions that have more flexibility in designing programs and hiring faculty?

Student Services Some institutions are moving toward integrating support services for distance students into the central support systems, phasing out separate service units for these students. Is this a trend that is a logical future direction for the field? What are the implications?

Market Realities In general, distance programs tied to careers and professions have had the most success (business, engineering, education). How much influence on these curricula should be given to employers and professionals in these fields? How do we access this input and integrate this input with those of the academic units responsible for the degrees and certificates we deliver.

Distance Education: A Musical Anthology

You Can’t Always Get What You Want Higher education has a need for resources among competing interest groups with competing goals that are also seeking resources.What is relatively certain is that the mainstreaming of campus and distance education will continue. Continuing and distance education units must position themselves strategically to support this mainstreamed teaching and learning environment. How do we do this?

We Can Work It Out Collaboration will prevail over competition in the long-term. All higher education constituents must work together to maximize the potential of technology for the university to do its business efficiently and effectively. What role will continuing and distance education units have in this collaborative process?

People Barbara Streisand had it right, people are still our most precious resource even in the knowledge age. The human capital of institutions must be developed, nurtured, rewarded and embraced. Technology will not replace the human element in education. The futurists were wrong!

The Sounds of Silence We have to openly talk about these issues on all our campuses, with our community leaders, parents, business and government leaders, and most importantly, students. Continuing and distance education units who choose to be silent will have their futures defined for them.

And We Still Haven’t Found Who We’re Looking For – U2 The literature on effective leadership in distance education is scarce. What are the characteristics of an effective distance education leader? What role (s) will these leaders play in future of distance education and why?

For What It’s Worth... “You got to stop children watch that sound everybody look what’s going down” Distance education has contributed significantly to education access, student learning, and workforce development. And yet, accountability and assessment are driving the new higher education landscape. What role do we play in this assessment environment?

Tomorrow Never Knows The future is uncertain, and change and ambiguity will likely be constants. Technology will be one of these constants. Is your continuing and distance education unit really as responsive and adaptive to change as it needs to be to thrive in this uncertain education environment?

Still Crazy After All These Years or Getting Better (All the Time) Education is both an art and science. We are making significant improvements in education at all levels. Combining the artistic and scientific mosaic of education is essential, not optional, with or without technology. Celebrate your successes and embrace your challenges.

Even if you are on the right track, you are going to get run over if you just sit there Will Rogers

THANK YOU