Managing Distance Learning — New Challenges for Faculty

Abstract

Although the technology of distance learning gets most of the attention, it is really teaching strategies and style which have the most impact on the quality of learning in distance programs. Facilitating learning communities at a distance requires some new approaches to the practice of managing the teaching and learning process. Effective faculty start with a completely new mind set about where technology fits into the equation. Rather than struggling to make up for qualities distance programs are perceived to lack when compared to traditional classrooms, faculty members who are most successful with distance technologies see them as actually providing some qualitative advantages. In addition to managing the delivery of the content to their courses, faculty teaching at a distance must learn to manage a new set of variables which determine the extent to which their courses are effective including: metaphor, meaning, culture, roles, time, awareness, and collaboration. Learning and practicing the skills to manage these dimensions is the key challenge for faculty development.