Week 9

EDET 674 Week 9 Essential Question: What lessons can we take from Global Distance Learning Efforts?

“Distance education is found in some form in every country of the world,” ((Moore, et.al, page 271). In the past, a lot of third world countries have relied on print, radio and television as the main form of communication. Nowadays, it’s mobile technologies that are taking over. Some examples of online degree programs throughout the world include United Kingdom Open University (UKOU), the Open University of China (OUC), Korea National Open University (KNOU), PROFORMACAO, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), and the Distance Learning programs at the University of Alaska.

UKOU (United Kingdom) was the first Open University and is the premier model of distance education (Moore, et.al, page 244). Its original mission was to provide adults who were denied attendance in a conventional university, opportunities to higher education. There were no prerequisite qualifications for admission into an undergraduate program. They had to be 18 years or older, and pay a small tuition fee (about $7,500). These adults were employed and studied part time. They have over 600 courses offered online, and even work with businesses/corporations in meeting staff development needs. All course materials, resources, forums, etc. are found on their website “StudentHome.”

OUC (China) has the world’s largest distance education program. It has 44 open regional universities, 1,000 municipal and 2,000 county open universities, and 60,000 tutorial centers (Moore, et.al, page 246). They combine satellite, cable and broadcast tv, radio, Internet, computer programs, and printed materials. They offer 75 majors in 9 disciplines and 24 specialties. Their learning centers organize all classes, register students, collect tuition, distribute course materials, and appoint tutors (page 247).

KNOU (Korea) required students to participate in face-to-face tutorials, and video conferencing between peers and faculty (page 249). They have a Digital Library System, which holds audio and videotapes on almost 600 subjects. They are available for checkout or downloading from the Internet.

PROFORMACO, which is a program designed in Brazil, is a nationwide project that provides training to unqualified elementary teachers. Most of these teachers are found in rural, under developed parts of the country. All of the course materials were designed by highly qualified specialists, distributed by HQ video programs (page 250).

UOC (Catalonia) describes itself as an e-learning institute (page 262). They have over 50,000 students enrolled, 200 faculty members, and offers over 1,200 mastery’s degree programs, post-graduate and extension programs (page 263). Grades are sent to mobile devices, home study packages are delivered monthly, and they have a UOC channel on YouTube.

Lastly, the University of Alaska has three main campuses. The UA System is dedicated to provide undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, endorsements, and courses, offered entirely online or in blended formats (https://distance.alaska.edu). All programs offered can be achieved without any on-campus, or face-to-face participation (https://distance.alaska.edu/programs/).

“University of Alaska Fairbanks’ eLearning programs range from foundational occupation endorsements and certificates all the way to online graduate degrees. Our degree and certificate programs cover a variety of fields, from medical coding and reception to information technology. With so many programs to choose from, and with the flexibility of online courses, UAF’s eLearning courses are a great way to begin or further your educational and professional career,” (https://elearning.uaf.edu/degrees/).

I was able to complete my undergraduate degree from UAF. What I really like is the UA System and how I can find everything there: registration, fees, class schedule, etc. Thanks to the online degree program, I’m able to continue my education and pursue my Masters.

Resources.

Distance Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from https://distance.alaska.edu/programs/

Distance Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from https://distance.alaska.edu/

Moore, Michael G., and Greg Kearsley. Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.

Online Degrees at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2016, from https://elearning.uaf.edu/degrees/