Introduction
"Quality distance
education." Some
educators will
suggest that this
statement is an
oxymoron.
Considering the
"correspondence
courses" of the
past, these
educators have
reason the be
skeptical.
Correspondence
courses, by
nature, require a
trade-off between
personalized
education and
efficiency. These
programs often
required a level
of institutional
support that could
not be justified
without a high
number of students
and/or limited
contact with
students. These
early experiences
with distance
education walked
the line between
quality and
quantity - often
the choice was
quantity.
Frustrated with
problems
associated with
correspondence
courses, educators
moved to other
modes of course
delivery. The
second generation
of distance
education relied
on mail,
teleconferencing,
video tapes,
synchronous video,
and travel.
Institutions
invested in
expensive
teleconferencing
equipment and
established
satellite campuses
where students
would gather to
participate in a
televised class
with a professor
and group of
students at other
locations. In
other cases
"distance
education" meant
that the educator
would travel to
meet with
students. Other
programs included
a residential
component that
required students
to travel to the
university campus.
Each of these
models involved
high costs to the
institution and/or
the student.
Pressures to
reduce these costs
often reduced the
quality of the
distance education
experience.
Technological
advances in
distance education
now have the
potential to
eliminate the
quality/quantity
tradeoff. The
internet has the
capacity to
provide both
asynchronous and
synchronous
learning
opportunities. The
flexibility
provided by the
internet allows
courses and
programs to be
designed around
proven strategies
for teaching and
learning. This can
be accomplished
without the
significant
expenses
associated with
video
conferencing,
travel, and other
delivery methods.
Today's web-based
courses allow a
structured
experience that
leads to a
collaborative
learning
environment. In
effect, every
computer becomes a
classroom.
Students learn
from the comfort
of home while
participating in a
high quality
learning
environment that
includes
interaction with
other learners.
This is a
significant
improvement over
distance models in
which many
offerings of a
course were to a
class of one.
Educators value a
collaborative
environment.
Administrators
value an efficient
environment.
Web-based courses
have the potential
to eliminate the
conflicting
demands of these
values. However,
this is
accomplished
through a shifting
of institutional
resources that
place a greater
burden on
individual faculty
members.
This is a double
edged sword for
educators. Quality
control is gained
as educators take
responsibility for
delivering course
content. This
relieves
administrators
from the burdens
of coordinating
the mailing of
course materials,
the hiring of
graders, and
communication with
students in
diverse locations.
Web-based
education also
eliminates the
need for
"satellite
campuses" with
support staff,
expensive
teleconferencing
equipment, and a
range of
additional costs.
The on-campus
costs of distance
education are
reduced to
computers,
software, and
salaries - costs
the university is
accustomed to
paying. Off-campus
costs are shifted
to students who
are responsible
for computer
equipment and
internet access -
again, something
many are paying
for already.
The shifting of
costs can be very
compelling to
administrators.
This model can
also be compelling
to educators that
long for
efficiency,
control, and
academic freedom.
We believe this
trade-off can be
beneficial to
students and
educators.
Further, we
proceed under the
assumption that
skilled distance
educators will,
when provided with
adequate
resources, create
online learning
environments that
are equivalent to,
or superior to,
the learning
environment found
in "traditional"
classrooms.
This page is
devoted to a range
of issues faced by
educators that are
working to provide
courses, or entire
programs, over the
internet. This
page includes
links to distance
education
resources,
criminal justice
related distance
programs, and a
discussion of
major issues
related to
distance education
in criminal
justice.
Distance
Education
Resources
Designing a
web-based course,
or adding web
content to a
traditional
course, is much
more than placing
lecture notes on
the internet.
Witty intellectual
banter in the
classroom can be a
lot of fun, and
many of us are
good at this. How
does the online
educator translate
these skills to a
web-based course?
Should you even
try? The following
links start with
information that
will help you
decide how to
structure your
online materials.
Online vs.
Traditional
This first group
of links provide
information about
the relative
strengths of
traditional and
distance
education.
Course Design
Most online
educators report
that the initial
course preparation
time needed for
the first online
course greatly
exceeds the amount
of time needed to
prepare a
traditional
course. Time
demands can be
significantly
increased for an
online educator
with little
experience in
website design. As
this is a typical
situation, it is
important to allow
the time needed to
acquire the skills
needed to develop
effecting
pedagogical
methods and
material.
The following
links, arranged by
topic, offer a
good place to get
started. These
links provide an
overview of issues
and resources
related to an
effort to get
courses, and
possibly entire
degree programs,
online.
Initial Planning
Will your course
be entirely online
or do you plan to
offer online
materials to a
traditional course
in a "hybrid"
format? Will all
communication be
asynchronous, or
will you attempt
to create a
simultaneous
"online classroom"
experience through
chat rooms or
other synchronous
course tools? Are
you trying to
replicate what you
do in the
classroom, and are
good at, or are
you planning to
try new things?
Will you, and the
others in class,
be comfortable not
seeing the faces
of the professor
and classmates?
Will you adopt an
organizational
structure similar
to the 15 week
structure common
in most
universities (and
textbooks)? Will
exams be included?
If so, what level
of security is
needed? If written
assignments are
required, how will
they be submitted,
graded, and
returned?
So many
questions!
Planning for a
high quality
online course
begins well in
advance of the
first effort to
design a website.
The educator must
develop a picture
of what this
course will look
like, and how it
will function,
before making the
initial effort to
design the course
materials.
Course Content
Will your site
include text
versions of
in-class lectures?
What about
PowerPoint
presentations?
Will you include a
list of links?
What about online
discussions? Here
are a few ideas:
Lectures:
PowerPoint
presentations:
Links:
Online
discussion:
Website Design
The internet is
full of ugly pages
with confusing
organizational
structures. We
have all seen them
- now you get a
chance to do it
right. Do you
want, or need, a
bunch of animated
icons? Some think
they are ugly
while others find
them to be cute.
The process of
designing a web
site calls on
organizational,
and artistic,
skills that may be
somewhat dormant
in educators. Your
website is your
public face to
these students. Do
you also want a
photo of your real
face on your site?
If so, how do you
do this? How do
you do this
without creating a
page that will
take two minutes
to load on a slow
internet
connection?
Your personality
will shine through
to your students -
take the time to
design this
component of your
course so that you
and your students
are prepared for a
high quality
learning
environment.
Course Delivery
Most universities
have adopted
"courseware" that
is used to create
and deliver
web-based content.
These programs
solve many of the
problems
confronted by
distance educators
who attempt to
design all course
components from
scratch. In
general, these
programs are very
good. They are
clearly superior
to proprietary
course tools
provided by
publishers. In
fact, many
publishers have
abandoned efforts
to provide course
creation software
and are offering
course content
that can be
included in
popular courseware
packages.
WebCT and
Blackboard appear
to have cornered
the courseware
market and many
institutions have
one or the other.
Each of these
delivery systems
have limitations
but they offer
many advantages to
the online
educator. It is
relatively easy to
create a simple
course website in
just a few minutes
- as long as
training is
provided. These
programs also have
the flexibility to
serve the needs of
more experienced
web educators.
The adoption of
either of these
packages requires
an institutional
decision that is
likely to be
accompanied by
various support
systems. This
support typically
includes faculty
training in the
use of these
programs. WebCT
and Blackboard
also include
extensive support
information on
their websites.
These sites
include discipline
specific
information and
opportunities to
communicate with
other distance
educators. Much of
the material n
these sites is
freely available.
Courseware
solutions
typically
encourage faculty
to post all course
materials on the
courseware server.
The result is that
all materials are
password
protected. One of
the advantages of
online course
material is that
this material is
available for
review by
prospective
students and the
general public.
This advantage is
lost when all
material is hidden
behind a password.
Of course, this
decision is up to
the individual
faculty member.
Some will prefer
the secrecy
offered by
passwords while
others see
advantages to open
access.
If full access is
desired, the
distance educator
will need to find
server space for
the posting of
course materials
that are not
contained within
the structure of
WebCT, Blackboard,
or other course
delivery tool. The
logical solution
is to post this
material on
University
servers. In some
cases this
solution will
result in costs to
the department as
computer support
services attempts
to recover some of
their costs. If
the cost for
server space also
includes help for
faculty and
students this may
be a cost
effective
solution.
The ownership of
course materials
is another factor
to be considered
as you decide
where to post your
course material.
Many institutions
have created
policies that
claim ownership of
all materials
placed on
university
servers. It is a
good idea to check
on the policies of
your institution
before posting
material on their
servers.
Internet service
providers offer an
alternative that
protects the
educator's
ownership rights.
Some of these
sites are free
(with pop-ups or
banners), others
charge a minimal
fee with limited
support, and
others offer full
services including
site design,
hosting, and
customer support.
There are many
differences
between these
services. Some
offer Microsoft
FrontPage server
extensions. This
is a plus if you
want to use some
of the advanced
features (site
map, search, etc)
available in
FrontPage. Other
services use UNIX
or Linux servers -
there are
advantages to
these as well.
Database support
might also be an
important feature.
Shop carefully,
looking for the
features you will
need for your
courses. Customer
support varies
greatly. It might
be helpful to ask
a question of
customer support
before you commit
to a service. The
response will give
you a good idea of
what to expect if
you continue your
relationship.
Finally, many of
these services
offer a lower rate
if you commit to a
longer agreement.
It may be a good
idea to try out
the service for a
shorter period of
time before
committing.
If you move your
pages off the
university servers
you get to choose
a cool domain
name. The cost of
registering a
domain name has
dropped
significantly over
the past couple of
years. Use a
search engine to
search for
"registering a
domain name." You
will be presented
with many options.
In general, each
company goes
through the same
process,
especially if you
are registering a
.com or .org name.
Costs may vary so
it is a good idea
to be sure you are
getting something
for the additional
cost.
In all cases, let
the buyer beware.
The "corporation"
you are dealing
with might be a
14-year-old with a
server in the
basement. This
might actually be
preferable to a
large company.
Select a solution
that provides the
level of service
you need while
providing a level
of support and
trust that makes
you comfortable.
These links
should help with
these decisions:
Course
Management
At this point
your online course
has been planned,
designed, created,
and posted. Be
sure to test all
the components.
Ask a few
colleagues,
students, or
others to test
your site from
their home or
office computers.
This process will
provide good
feedback for last
minute changes.
Screen
resolutions,
browser types, and
connection speeds
vary greatly from
one user to
another. A good
test run will help
you eliminate many
potential
problems.
It is finally
time to welcome
your students.
Students comfort
and experience
level is an issue
in any class. This
is true for
web-based classes,
although the
sources of
discomfort may be
different. The
first few days of
an online class
are very
important. It may
be helpful to
delay discussion
of the subject
matter until
students are
comfortable with
the mode of
delivery. You may
want to place an
end date of public
discussion of
issues related to
course delivery.
When the majority
of students are
comfortable with
the format,
further discussion
of computer issues
becomes a
distraction.
Remaining problems
can be addressed
on an individual
basis without
prolonging class
discussion
regarding course
delivery.
Issues related to
delivery that
extend past the
first couple weeks
may be indicative
of several issues.
If these problems
are related to
design, it is
important to
address these
problems as soon
as possible. This
can be relatively
easy when compared
to problems
associated with a
distance student's
computer knowledge
or equipment. It
is not safe to
assume that a
student that
registers for an
online course is
computer savvy. A
clear statement of
policy regarding
equipment and
support can
eliminate or
minimize these
problems.
Online courses
can place
different demands
on the educator's
schedule. Students
are often online
late at night. If
the professor is
comfortable with
this schedule he
or she may find
that this time
presents an
opportunity to
interact with
students. It can
be strangely
comforting to know
that you are not
the only one in
class at 1:00 am.
Of course, this
schedule is not
required and it is
entirely possible
to teach web-based
courses on a 9-5
schedule. Set the
expectations at
the start so
students
understand, and
respect, your
schedule and work
style.
Grading issues
are also a bit
different in a
web-based course.
We are all aware
of "good" students
that complete
their work on
team, every time,
in a traditional
classroom. These
students keep up
with their work
because they
carefully keep
track of all
deadlines. They
know they
completed and
submitted a given
assignment because
the assignment was
handed to the
professor in
class. These
students often
respond in a
different way to
online
assignments. They
can be
uncomfortable with
the uncertainty
associated with
the submission of
an online
assignment.
Clicking a "send"
button may not be
enough for a
student that
worries about
every assignment.
They may submit an
assignment several
times, perhaps
asking for a quick
acknowledgement of
each submission.
We are also
familiar with the
less motivated
student. This
student may
exploit the
uncertainty
associated with
the submission of
online
assignments. The
online educator is
placed in a
difficult
situation when a
student, who was
assumed to be
AWOL, suddenly
appears after a
three week
absence, claiming
that he or she has
been there all
along.
Problems with
each of these
students can be
reduced with a
carefully worded
course outline.
This is especially
important in a
class that does
not meet in
person. Provide a
clear listing of
expectations,
schedule, response
time, and other
issues. Quick
grading of
assignments,
accompanied by an
e-mail or online
discussion post
that announces
that assignments
have been graded,
can reduce these
problems. Problems
can be reduced
once students are
comfortable with
the online
assignments and
are aware that the
professor is
closely monitoring
the class and
assignments.
The following
links address a
range of course
management issues:
The Next Course
Here is some good
news. The first
course can be a
bit rough but at
the end of the
semester you have
the framework for
continued
development of
this course. You
have also acquired
the skills needed
to try again.
Other
Information
Examples
I leave my course
information online
and have provided
links below. The
internet provides
a great
opportunity to
learn.
Unfortunately, the
commercialization
of the Internet
has made this tool
less valuable to
students and
educators. I
believe in free
access to learning
materials and have
participated in
enough publisher
funded "focus
groups" to know
that publishers
would prefer to
limit free access
to knowledge.
A downside of the
choice to leave
materials online
is that this
material has the
potential to
become outdated.
An advantage is
that potential
students have an
opportunity to
review materials
as they choose
their courses.
Another advantage
is that any
student,
regardless of
enrollment status,
has access to
quality course
materials - just
don't ask me to
grade your papers!
Copyright
concerns may also
reduce the
motivation to
leave materials
online. Ownership
of online content
is a contentious
issue. As
discussed above,
Blackboard and
WebCT allow the
educator to place
materials in
password protected
areas. In spite of
my support of free
access, I also
place certain
materials in
password protected
areas. Each online
educator has the
power to make
decisions about
access to course
materials. The
range of tools
available to
online educators
allow this choice.
"One size fits
all" tools such as
WebCT may cause
educators to keep
all their
materials in one
place. This can be
a tempting option
but remember that
everything will be
hidden behind a
password. With a
little creativity,
and a few website
creation skills,
educators are
empowered to
provide full,
limited, or no
access to their
materials.
Finally, will
your materials be
stolen? The
reality is that it
is very easy to
steal entire
websites and
repackage them as
your own. It is
also very easy to
discover these
"copies" by doing
a search of the
web. Would a web
educator be
"flattered" if
someone ripped off
his or her course
material? No, most
would be offended.
The only
consolation is
that if the
"educator" is too
lazy and/or
uninspired to
create unique web
content at least
the students will
benefit from the
once-removed
efforts of a
caring educator.
The following
links provide
examples of course
web pages.
Links to Online
Courses or Syllabi
Distance
Education - C.J.
Degree Programs
University-based
The links
included on the
left margin of
this page include
brief descriptions
of many criminal
justice programs
in the United
States. Many of
these programs
offer, or plan to
offer, web-based
courses or
degrees. The
following lists
include programs
that offer online
coursework leading
to a complete
degree. These
lists are limited
to progra
Undergraduate
Degrees
Internet-based
A growing number
of criminal
justice degree
programs are being
offered by
internet-based
institutions. In
contrast to
traditional
universities,
these are "for
profit" ventures.
Accreditation is
typically from an
organization that
specializes in
accrediting online
degree programs.
Remember that an
assumption of this
presentation is
that skilled
distance educators
will, when
provided with
adequate
resources, create
online learning
environments that
are equivalent to,
or superior to,
the learning
environment found
in "traditional"
classrooms. To be
brutally honest,
and perhaps
somewhat biased, a
review of the "for
profit"
educational sites
cast doubt on the
validity of that
assumption.
I began to list
several of these
programs but
discovered that
these companies
are paying search
engines and other
sources for
referrals and
clicks to their
site. Why should
I use this page to
give it away,
especially when
these programs
appear to be below
the standards we
have come to
expect, and work
hard to maintain,
in established
Colleges and
Universities?
Search for
"online criminal
justice degrees"
on any search
engine. Since
they pay for their
positioning on
search results,
these programs
will be at or near
the top of the
list. Go ahead
and click on the
links - the search
engine provider
will bill the
program for each
referral.
Accreditation
Issues
Distance
Education -
Administrative
Issues
Institutions are
rapidly adopting
web-based models
of distance
education.
Departments,
colleges, and
individual faculty
are being
pressured to
create online
courses and
programs, in spite
of the lack of
experience and
expertise in
distance
education. To
make matters
worse, those who
are exerting this
pressure may be
similarly
unprepared for the
challenges of
delivering and
supporting
web-based
educational
content.
Is the pressure
to move toward
web-based models a
threat? Does this
pressure lead to
opportunity for
those that "take
the bait?" How
does web-based
education interact
with intellectual
property rights,
academic freedom,
and tenure? What
level of
institutional
support will be
required? The
following links
provide
information about
a range of issues
to be considered.
General Issues
Infrastructure
Training
Ownership
Compensation
Tenure
Conclusion
The state of
web-based
education is
somewhat
unsettled.
Institutions have
rapidly, and
perhaps naively,
expanded their
offerings in
web-based distance
education.
Faculty members
have devoted a
significant amount
of energy in their
efforts to "go
online." Students
have been lured by
promises, either
real or imagined,
of an educational
experience that
fits into their
busy schedules.
Distance
education has
always been
promoted as a
low-cost solution
to many problems
faced by higher
education.
Eventually,
institutions get
around to counting
money. We are now
reaching that
stage and these
institutions are
discovering that
distance education
is not, at this
point, as
profitable as they
anticipated (see
the Chronicle of
Higher Education
article linked
below).
Those who have
experienced
success in
web-based
education will be
quick to point out
that a focus on
profitability
diverts attention
from the
effectiveness of
web-based course
delivery.
Web-based courses
have the potential
to be at least as
effective as
traditional
courses. In
addition,
web-based courses
meet distance
needs that have
always been
active, especially
in sparsely
populated areas
that cannot
support
traditional
institutions.
Many educators
that have
integrated web
content into their
courses report
high levels of
satisfaction, both
with the process
and the result.
This effort
requires a
significant
commitment in
terms of time and
energy. Hopefully
this page, and the
links provided,
will make this
process more
efficient.
Educators have
strong feelings
about retaining
academic freedom.
Web-based
education provides
another battle
ground regarding
this issue. In
many cases the
educator feels
liberated by an
educational
setting that
offers an
unprecedented
level of control
over course
content. However,
this freedom can
be eliminated if
online educators
do not make
informed arguments
about the future
of this method of
course delivery.
In effect,
knowledge of the
issues surrounding
online education
are important for
all educators,
even those who do
not plan to teach
online.
Web-based courses
can be very time
consuming, in the
design stage as
well as during the
times in which the
course is active.
As with any skill,
the process gets
easier with
experience.
Course materials
can start out very
simply, perhaps
just a course
outline. The
simple process of
posting a course
outline will
illustrate the
potential of
online content.
For example, lets
assume your course
outline discusses
a required term
paper. As with a
traditional course
outline, you tell
the students that
you expect their
papers to follow
APA style. An
online syllabus
can include links
to pages that
describe APA
style, formatting
and organizational
options for term
papers, and
examples of good
papers from past
classes. The
richness of the
online syllabus
makes it easier
for students to
learn on their
own, buying
valuable time for
more productive
teaching and
learning activity.
Web-based course
content, when used
a supplement to
traditional
material, can lead
to increased
flexibility in the
classroom. For
example, the
process of
administering and
grading exams can
be very
mechanical. Class
time spent on
exams is not
particularly
productive. If
exams are placed
online this time
can be used for
class activities
that lead to
additional
learning
experiences. In
effect, the
mechanization of
certain course
elements allows
the educator to
focus on
productive and
rewarding class
experiences. When
used in this way
"distance"
technology has the
potential to lead
to a more personal
and student
centered classroom
experience.
Flexibility is
one of the most
attractive
features of
web-based courses.
This flexibility
extends to course
design, content
selection, and the
use of time.
Students place a
high value on the
opportunity to
participate in a
class during times
that fit their
schedule. Faculty
have busy
schedules and they
also benefit from
this flexibility.
Is web-based
education for
everyone? No, of
course not. Is
this method of
delivery equally
effective in all
contexts? Again,
no. However, for
a growing number
of administrators,
educators, and
students,
web-based
education makes a
lot of sense.
Distance education
has a past that
has not always
included
successful
innovation. The
internet offers an
opportunity to
resolve many of
the problems
associated with
previous efforts
to educate at a
distance. As
such, the future
of web-based
education appears
to be quite
bright. Through
the careful
efforts of
educators, that
potential may be
reached.
The Future
