The future of university distance education

 

Howell, Williams & Lindsay (2003) examined a large body of distance education journals, books and web sites published mainly in the prior three years. They identified common threads, highlighting these as forseeable strategic planning issues for education managers. Their findings point not only to directions for distance education but for university teaching generally.

Student/Enrollment Trends

1. The current higher education infrastructure cannot accommodate the growing college-aged population and enrollments, making more distance education programs necessary.
2. Students are shopping for courses that meet their schedules and circumstances.
3. Higher-education learner profiles, including online, information-age, and adult learners, are changing.
4. The percentage of adult, female, and minority learners is increasing.
5. Retention rates concern administrators and faculty members.

Faculty Trends

6. Traditional faculty roles are shifting or “unbundling.”
7. The need for faculty development, support, and training is growing.
8. Faculty tenure is being challenged, allowing for more non-traditional faculty roles in distance education.
9. Some faculty members are resisting technological course delivery.
10. Faculty members who participate in distance education courses develop better attitudes toward distance education and technology.
11. Instructors of distance courses can feel isolated.
12. Faculty members demand reduced workload and increased compensation for distance courses.

Academic Trends

13. Knowledge and information are growing exponentially.
14. The institutional landscape of higher education is changing: traditional campuses are declining, for-profit institutions are growing, and public and private institutions are merging.
15. There is a shift in organizational structure toward decentralization.
16. Instruction is becoming more learner-centered, non-linear, and self-directed.
17. There is a growing emphasis on academic accountability.
18. Academic emphasis is shifting from course-completion to competency.
19. Education is becoming more seamless between high school, college, and further studies.
20. Higher education outsourcing and partnerships are increasing.
21. Some advocate standardizing content in learning objects.

Technology Trends

22. Technological devices are becoming more versatile and ubiquitous
23. There is a huge growth in Internet usage.
24. Technological fluency is becoming a graduation requirement.

Economic Trends

25. With the economy in recession, there are fewer resources for higher education and higher education, initiatives, such as distance education.
26. Funding challenges are the top IT concern for many.
27. Lifelong learning is becoming a competitive necessity.

Distance Learning Trends

28. More courses, degrees, and universities are becoming available through distance-education programs.
29. The Internet is becoming dominant among other distance-education media.
30. The distinction between distance and local education is disappearing.
31. The need for effective course-management systems and Web services is growing.
32. There is an increasing need for learning and teaching strategies that exploit the capabilities of technology.

Howell, S.L., Williams, P.B. & Lindsay, N.K. (2003). Thirty-two trends affecting distance education: an informed foundation for strategic planning. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume VI, Number III. Full article available.

Comments

Whilst most of the points have global applicability, some of the points raised are not applicable to Australia. For example, the demography of the USA shows growth for several more years. In Australia, only Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory will see significant (percentage rather than numeric) growth in the number of school leavers (DETYA 2004); if demography is the only driver, the other states can expect maintenance or contraction of enrolments.

Predictions are that the participation rate of mature age students in Australia will continue to increase. To what extent these might offset or overcome the decline in number of school leavers cannot be predicted. Mature-age students will further drive the growth of distance education.

DETYA (2004). Demographic and social change: implications for education funding. Full article available.