Internet-Based Distance Education

Background
Using the Internet as a teaching delivery medium is a relatively new phenomenon for most faculty and students. In 1993 Peterson’s college guide listed just 93 “cyberschools”; however, by 1997, the Distance Learning guide listed 762. International Data forecasts that 2.2 million college students will take part in distance-learning courses in 2002, compared to 710,000 in 1998. The potential of the Internet to provide new on-line learning options is becoming a major trend in higher education.

Unlike most other communication technologies, the Internet is comprised of several "information spaces," which differ as to degree of interactivity and visual display of information.  The most obvious of these information spaces is the World Wide Web, with its browser-enabled ability to display text and graphical images, and “hot link” via hypertext to external pages maintained elsewhere on the Net.  Other spaces on the Internet pertinent to teaching a course on-line include the following:

Some or all of these elements might be incorporated into an on-line course, depending on the pedagogical needs and the instructor’s preference.  Students access these elements through a home page, which is what a user sees when he or she opens a Web browser and links to the main page in an on-line course. The home page helps students navigate, or make their way through the course in a way consistent with the instructor’s  pedagogical intent, and provides ready access to the interactive and communication elements of the course.

Getting Started
Just as with other types of mediated instruction, developing a distance education course using the Internet is a process that will take time and thought. The rule of thumb is that development of a new on-line course can take between 12 to 18 months from initial conceptual planning to final implementation. The University of Florida's Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) uses a 22-week development cycle, prior to which the instructor plans and prepares the syllabus and course outline and gathers and organizes existing content which will be included. IFAS, the College of Engineering, the College of Business and several other colleges also have strong support facilities that can help an instructor develop and deliver distance education courses.

For anyone contemplating developing an on-line course, organizing the materials you already have is important. But you’ll also want to think about how to take advantage of the Internet’s unique interactive attributes. You will find that you use your materials differently on-line, and you may need to vary some of your instructional techniques from those you used in the live classroom. For suggestions on interactive strategies, check the section, Using Distance Education Technologies.

One of the best ways to get started is to develop an understanding of the basic ways to communicate information over the Internet from the perspective of your course and its potential audience - your students. Knowing your audience is important, since your students' age, experience and previous experience with computers and the Internet may affect their perceptions of the course and their performance. For more information on distance education learners, check Distance Education Learners.

Since you will be delivering your course over what is, essentially, an electronic communication network, there are also some technology-related factors that you will need to consider in the planning phase of developing your course. For example, you will need to know the level and kind of Internet access you anticipate students will have and whether or not that might cause any compatibility issues. A survey administered on a Web site or by e-mail during the first week of class is a good way to determine your students’ experience with technology and their computer and Internet access specifications.

Now, find out how to build your course and communicate with your students.
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