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Progress Report 1
Overview of Progress
- We designed 3 different questionnaires, aimed at distance education students, distance education instructors, and traditional instructors, respectively.
- We tried asking broad questions that would not "guide" the answers to what we were looking for, but rather allow participants to come up with their own answers. In this way, we felt, we’d receive their honest opinions and only the most important points would come out.
- We've interviewed 2 students of distance education (Sanjay Gajendra and Ashok Nagaraj) and 1 "traditional" professor (Michael Main).
Brief Summary of Results:
- Michael Main has been a professor in the Computer Science department at the University of Colorado-Boulder for 23 years. We felt his input as a traditional instructor was important because it gives us a common perspective.
- He is not in favor of distance education. Though limited in his background knowledge about distance education, he regards student/instructor interaction to be very important, which may be limited with distance education. "I am rewarded by the contact with students." Additionally, he feels that tailoring his courses to meet student needs is vital and he's concerned that distance education would lessen the amount of feedback he receives with which to fine-tune his curriculum.
- The two students we interviewed, Sanjay Gajendra and Ashok Nagaraj, are currently enrolled in a distance education course. They are pursing a Master’s degree in Engineering Management at the University of Colorado-Boulder through the CAETE program.
- They provided similar answers when asked what were the benefits of enrolling in distance education. Both said this system provides flexibility in balancing careers, family, and higher education.
- As for disadvantages, Sanjay mentioned that group projects are “always a headache to synchronize with [other group members].” He also supported our null hypothesis by mentioning that distance education “limits social networking and group learning.”
- For Ashok, a disadvantage was the he “missed out on lively, constructive discussions being carried out in the class and the chance to float our own ideas within a class setting.”
- With regards to technology, we asked the question “Which forms of technology [used for distance education] are effective?” With this question, we hoped to narrow down which types of technological media are most effective. Then we’re able to investigate what aspects of these technologies makes them so useful and that can be used in designing better technologies for distance education and perhaps education as a whole.
- Both students agreed that Internet streaming was a useful tool.
For complete transcripts of the interviews, go to the following links:
Traditional Instructors:
Distance Education Students:
          
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