Issues in Online Education Introduction: Online education provides a vehicle for transforming learning opportunities for students. As a relatively new medium, though, there is much to be learned about how it may be used effectively. The traditional roles for teachers, curriculum writers, textbook authors, publishers, guidance counselors, media specialists, etc. may be changed in profound ways as web-based learning opportunities expand. The teacher is challenged with new opportunities, new demands, and an evolving set of professional norms and relationships that demand careful analysis to ensure the well-being of the student AND of the educators who provide service to those students. Below are selected links and reviews of resources that illuminate two broad areas dealing with online education:
Quality: Just as the world begins to focus on "teacher quality" through such measures as National Board Certification, we must redefine the term. States may create licensure standards that ignore distance education or contain irrelevant requirements to real quality. Schools of education, agencies that accredit those schools and that accredit k-12 schools are in a similar position to the state licensing agencies. Local control of curriculum and standards has been an issue for debate for some time. Will distance education cause local schools to abdicate their influence (and responsibility) to external providers of service? Private for-profit providers have already begun to arise with a primary mission other than student learning. The Profession: Structures have evolved over recent decades to provide teachers with pay, benefits, and some semblance of insulation from the politics of school districts and school boards. As teacher shortages begin to highlight the lack of competitive career opportunity and earning potential for professional educators, the alternative delivery mechanism provided by the web may offer real solutions. On the other hand, the web may undermine economic progress and divert attention once again from substantive efforts to recruit and retain the most capable people in the profession. Teachers assume new roles but may lack the appropriate rights and training to equip them for these opportunities. The "teacher as publisher" brings into question issues of intellectual property at one time only the province of higher education. Local control of curriculum and standards has been a significant influence
National Education Association collaborated with BlackBoard.com to conduct research into quality issues related to online or distance education. The findings of their research may be found in a PDF file (Quality on the Line) and as a summary at the NEA web site. From that summary site, here are the major "bulleted points" Institutional Support Benchmarks
Course Development Benchmarks
Teaching/Learning Benchmarks
Course Structure Benchmarks
Student Support Benchmarks
Faculty Support Benchmarks
Evaluation and Assessment Benchmarks
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