The purpose of the present study was to provide an understanding of the educator-learner relationship in distance education and then to identify and discuss parts of that relationship associated with dropout. Its underlying assumption was that education, at a distance or face-to-face, involves an educator-learner relationship. There were three justifications for this investigation: to illuminate the educator-learner relationship, to contribute to research on dropout in distance education, and to foster integration between practice and scholarship in the field. The scope of the first research question, what characterizes educator-learner relationships in distance education? necessitated drawing on a broad data base and suggested an interpretive study. The research method chosen was an integrative review of scholarly literature in the field of distance education. In answer to the first research question, the educator-learner relationship in distance education was conceptualized as a wheel with an axle of dialogue, spokes of support, and a rim of independence. The development of this model was the most important result of the present study. Concern among practitioners over high attrition rates led to the second part of the purpose and the second research question, what characteristics of the educator-learner relationship in distance education are associated with dropout? In answer to this question, findings from the dropout literature were filtered through the model of the educator-learner relationship in distance education. Tinto’s research into dropout from higher education informed the analysis. Results indicated that perceived deficiencies in dialogue along the spokes of support in the quadrants of learning and instruction have been associated with dropout. This study recognized that the relationship between educator and learner affects student perceptions of intellectual and social integration and so may influence dropout. Recommendations for research and practice were generated from the model of the educator-learner relationship in distance education. Presence at a distance can be enhanced by a dialogue-centred practice. Suggestions included the tracking of students, professional development for practitioners, and evaluations of distance education practice based on the model of the educator-learner relationship in distance education. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

The role of practical work is crucial to the learning and teaching of science (Woolnough and Allsop, 1985). Depending on the design of the activity it can become a powerful tool for making concrete a subject which is abstract and inherently difficult to understand. The current practice in developing countries (including South Africa), for providing practical work experience for learners studying science through distance education, is a week long session where learners are bombarded with activities after activities the whole day long. This divorces the activity from the theory and thus one aim of practical work, the understanding of a particular theory or concept is not achieved. The microscience system, developed at RADMASTE (Research and Development in Maths, Science and Technology Education) Centre, Wits University, may be an answer to the problem mentioned above. This system uses small-scale equipment which is cost-effective, versatile, convenient and robust, and demands no special infrastructure. Working on a small scale is now the norm in many branches of science: it costs less, it is safer, there is less damage to the environment, etc. It is accompanied with worksheets (written using a guided enquiry approach) as well as chemicals that would be required for the activities. To see its effectiveness as a tool for providing practical work experience for students studying science through distance education, it was used by educators who had registered for the ACE (Advanced Certificate in Education) for FET (Further Education and Training) level program at Wits University. This is an inservice training course for educators, most of whom qualified with a 3 year educators diploma from an educators training college. The ACE program uses a mixed delivery approach. That is, 4 contact sessions (usually 5 days each, during the school holidays) are spaced throughout the year where educators come to the workshop. During the workshop, course workbook, assignments and portfolio activities for a particular course are given to the educators. For the rest of the period educators are required to work independently or with fellow students. The portfolio tasks and assignments are sent by post to the University by the educators, whereupon they are marked and resent to educators. During each year educators complete 3 specialisation courses (either in Maths or Science) and 2 education courses. The microchemistry kit (part of the microscience system) was used by educators at home for performing practical work activities for the science specialization course entitled, Chemical Reactions. The current research aims to report on the use of the RADMASTE Advanced microchemistry kit by two groups of secondary school educators at home during their independent study. A questionnaire was designed to look at how the educators managed to use the kit on their own. To gain insight into their experiences an in-depth interview was conducted by visiting four educators at home when they were performing the practical activity. Another questionnaire was designed to ascertain the attitude of these educators towards practical work. A questionnaire was also answered to gain understanding of what the educators learnt after using the kit at home. The results obtained for this study will inform the future for providing practical work experience for students studying science through distance education.

陳建. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-194) / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Chen Jian.

Globally, as distance education has become firmly embedded as a part of the higher education landscape, governments and institutions are calling for meaningful research on distance education. This study involved designing, developing and validating a learning environment survey instrument for use in distance education-delivered courses in post-secondary education. Specifically it involved merging two distinctive areas of study: psychosocial learning environments research and distance education research. The unique social structure of asynchronous distance education learning environments requires a unique and economical instrument for measuring the perceptions of distance education course participants. The research followed a three-stage instrument-development process of identifying salient scales, developing survey items, and field testing and analysing data using item analysis and validation procedures. This was followed by an investigation into the associations between the psychosocial learning environment and students enjoyment of distance education. The results yielded a new six-scale, 34-item Web-based learning environment instrument suitable for use in a number of asynchronous post-secondary distance education environments. The new instrument, the Distance Education Learning Environment Survey (DELES) assesses Instructor Support, Student Interaction and Collaboration, Personal Relevance, Authentic Learning, Active Learning, and Student Autonomy. Analyses of data obtained from 680 subjects supported the factorial validity and internal consistency reliability. The results also indicated statistically significant associations between the distance education learning environment and student enjoyment of distance education.

Thesis (M. Ed.(Educational psychology))-University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

<p>The purpose of this essay is to show <em>the opportunities and difficulties</em> of teaching within distance education. I will show this from two different parts of the world. One being Sweden and the other Australia, both countries run a distance education program with similar reasons students whom travelling, some living hundreds of miles from any schools and some students with health and or social disadvantages. This study is based on the actual teacher’s accounts and experiences the opportunities and difficulties in teaching in distance. The main method of collecting this data has been through interviews with the teachers, a distance-school administrator and a researcher from Sweden. A survey was mailed to Australia which has been filled in and returned by an administrator/head teacher for distance education. The main research questions asked were:</p><ul><li>What are teacher’s experiences in distance education?</li><li>What are the opportunities and difficulties by teaching in distance education?</li></ul><p>The interview conversations has been structured, generalised and reformulated in order to form a concrete set of teachers overall experiences. The literatures were support for many of the teacher’s thoughts and even things that compliment and add a broader picture of the subject and the results are discussed and weighed up against teacher’s own experiences.</p><p>The study reaches the conclusion of how the teachers express are of opportunities and difficulties in teaching the students in the best possible way, to stimulate learning by not only focus on teaching content but also on its learning environment.</p>

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 133 p. : map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-100).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Dale W. Lick, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. DX185079.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 134 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 110-119).