ONLINE DISTANCE EDUCATION BOOK
Editors
Dr. Aytekin Ýþman, Sakarya University & Eastern Mediterranean University
Dr. Murat Barkan, Eastern Mediterranean University
Dr. Uður Demiray, Anadolu University
CONTENTS
DEFINING DISTANCE EDUCATION, by Uður Demiray
I. Introduction
II. Well-Known Classical Definitions
III. Definitions Related to the Correspondance Education
IV. Definitions Related to the Information Technologies
V. Definitions Structured on Global Scale
HISTORY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION, by Uður Demiray and Aytekin Ýþman
I. Introduction
II. One-Way Communication Period
III. Two-Way Audio and Video Interactive System
IV. Conclusion
DISTANCE EDUCATION AS A CHALLENGING CONCEPT IN SOCIOLOGY, by Adnan Boyaci
I. Introduction
II. Distance Education Within The Concept of Globalization in Postmodern Approach
III. Marxian Point of View
IV. Functionalist Point of View
V. Conclusion
A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF DISTANCE EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES IN
I. Introduction
II. Sociology and Education
III. Group Structure, Control and Technological Effects in Distance Education
IV. Social Change and Distance Education
V. Some Functions of Education
VI. Conclusion
DISTANCE EDUCATION: APPLICATIONS AROUND THE WORLD, by Aytekin Ýþman
I. Introduction
II. Some Examples Around The World
III. Conclusion
TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES IN DISTANCE LEARNING, by Don Flournoy
I. Introduction
II. Media For Communications
III. Geo/Leo Satellite
IV. Terrestrial Microwave
V. Wireline Technologies
VI. Computer Communications
VII. Utilities
VIII. Hybrid Systems
THE WINDS OF CHANGE IN OPEN EDUCATION FACULTY (OEF) - TURKEY, by Murat Barkan
Copyright © 2003, TOJET. All rights reserved.
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by Uður Demiray
I. Introduction
Human being in his socializition history and educational period, always have tried to establish a good contacts for to share or change their knowledge, an experiences with whom anyone established easily communicate. This is a kind of feeding way of his life. It is an obsulate necessity for mentally, physically and emitionally development of humanbeings.
As long as people have been able to write -or even draw pictures-they have tried to use those skills to send messages to other people. The invention of printing and, in 20th Century, broadcasting, have enabled humanbeing to develop new methods of communicating with people who are not face-to-face with eachother (Dodds, 1983, p. 1). In our contemporary world this necessity is already heavily eliminated by developing mass media technology. On those days all people are in contact one or two of mass media in their all day which they are very close to his way of life or his looking angle to the world or life. It is no doubt that mass media is very close and important thing in our daily life, for example, think the television or broadcasting via satellite, as if, they are one of the our family member. These developed techniques have also made it possible to communicate with very large numbers of people through a single act of writing or broadcasting -very many more people than a teacher, or lecturer, could teach in a lesson or a lecture. (Dodds, 1983, p.2).
Communication technologies have a manipulative power and effect on the field of education in general. These technologies have been increasingly used in education and training for many years to meet different needs. This situation, increasingly use of technologies in education and training, have brought up some new disciplines, or study fields, into education field. Distance education is one of the newest forms of education which basically depends on these communication and information technology. As a new and modern approach to deliver instruction, distance education has been increasingly used by many corporations and organizations for both formal and non-formal educational settings in the United States and all around the world.
It has been realized by the corporations, institutions, colleges and universities that, when properly and timely used, distance education is one of the most effective, economical, and productive ways of delivering instruction. This fact caused them to employ distance education to deliver training and education to their personnel, clients and students in a cost-effective way at a high quality. That is one of the reasons that distance education, has been receiving more attention recently, especially during the late
1980 and 1990. The reason for such a trend is clear: the challenge of delivering more training to more people on more subjects with higher impact and effectiveness, and in a much more effective way can be met efficiently through distance education methods and techniques. While a new century is approaching, it seems that distance education is going to be one of the most widely used mode of delivering instruction in almost all areas, but especially in corporate training and education. A recent study reports that corporations and organizations which have successfully implemented distance learning systems list a range of benefits for their corporations. Among these benefits, the most frequently cited are the following (Akyürek oðlu, 1995, p. 81).
Attempts have been made since the 1920’s to use print and broadcasting in an organised way to teach people at a distance. At first, these media were used separately for education. Recently, however, many projects have setout to combine print and broadcasting for educational purposes. And there has been growing that occasional meetings between students and tutors help to make it easier to learn from printed or broadcast materials. Several different expressions are used to describe these various activities.
The purpose of this chapter is to give a place terminology and definitions of the distance education concept from point of scaning literature and various aspects of distance education view which argued by authors or distance educators, before giving our distance education/learning defination. The definition will develope here is used as an instrument to elimminate from the discussion forms of education which are different although they may have some similarities with each other The methodology used is here, based on of acknowledged experts in the field. Distance education or open learning is one of the important requirements to meet the far reaching expactations of the developed/developing countries for education. In some socities, education has very big problems for the reason finance, quality teaching team, physical capacities and so on. Distance education tries to solve these problems by using mass media to meet educational demand for its society within its own education method since early 1800's. which its history is mentioned in the other chapter with as possible as detail.
II. Well-Known Classical Definitions
Distance education can be defined or called with many the other concepts such as wallness education, open learning, open teaching, non-traditional educa-tion, distance learning, distance teaching, correspondence education, independent study, home study, distance teaching at a distance, extention study, external study, external learning, flexible education, flexible learning, life long education, lifelong learning, contract learning, experiential learning, directed private study, drop-in learning, independent learning, individualized learning, resource-based learning, self-access learning, self-study, supported self-study or continuning education ect in the literature defined by different authors. In this chapter distance education will named in the name any form of the concept which metioned up such as open learning or distance learning or distance education etc. What-ever it calls that in this chapter all of it will use in the meaning of distance education.
This concept is pleaced detaily in the Keegan’s book is named as Foundations of Distance Education. Here will summarize his chapter dealing with concept and defination of the distance education as can we do. We will use distance education as being a generic term of the field of education, as he said. Whatever distance education calls, mentioned above and on discussions in the literature. It may be describe thus: ‘distance education’ is a generic term that includes the range of teaching/learning strategies referred to as correspondence education or correspondence study at further education level in the United Kingdom; as home study further education and independent study at higher educational in the United States; as external studies in Australia; and as a distance teaching or te-aching at a distance in the United Kingdom by the Open University. In French it is referred to as Teleenseignement; Fernstudium/Fernunterricht in German; educacion a distanica in Spanish and teleducacao in Portuguese. This description lists the major terms used by distance education institutions in the English-speaking world and gives parallel terms for the major European languages. Distance education subsumes a number of existing terms but not all are synonymous. (Keegan, 1990, p. 28-29).
These terms have a long history in the education of children and adult at a distance. They still have their supporters who cla im that nearly all distance education is still organized throught the post and that both the public and prospective students recognize the terms. ‘Correspondence education’ is defined in the UNESCO volume Terminology of Adult Education as:
Education conducted by postal services without face-to-face between teacher and learner. Teaching is done by written or tape-recorded materials through written or taped exercises to the teacher, who corrects them and returns them to the learner with criticisms and advice (Quoted from UNESCO, 1979; by Keegan, 1990, p. 29)
The main problem with the terms of correspondence education that it can not encompass the didactic potential of this form of education in 1980s and beyond: print, audio, video and computer based possibilities must be reflected by the terminology chosen. Another problem is that critics of the term tend to associate ‘correspondence education and ‘correspondence study’ with the some of the less successful aspects of distance education in the past and to feel that these terms contribute to the stillquestioned status of study at a distance in many countries. Even when distance education is print-based the term ‘correspondence education’ is inadequate to describe courses by newspaper or systems with no postal component. A term is, how ever, need to designate the postal subgroup of the printbased
forms of distance education in which student contact is not encourged. It seems suitable to reserve the term ‘correspondence education’ for this purposes. (Keegan, 1990,p. 30)
History of the distance education terminology based the terms which are can be listed as home study, independent study, external study and distance teachin at a distance etc. Ho me study concept is explained in Keegan’s study as: Communication theory experts tells us that word grow tired and if they do, then ‘correspondence study’ is a tired word. It is significant that as early as 1926 when the directors of the correspondence schools of the United states came together to form an association, the title chosen was the National Home Study Council and not the National Correspondence Study Council. ‘Home Study’, however, has little claim to being an overall term as it is used mainly in the United States and is there confined to furter education (technical and vocationally oriented instituttions) and not higher education (universities and university-oriented colleges). In addition, the distance student may not, in fact, study at home or may study in part at home and in part at other centres (Keegan, 1990, p. 30).
A related concept is independent study. The fact that the student is separated from the teacher place great emphasis on the former’s ability to study on his own initative. Independent study is defined as fallows: Independent study, consists of various forms of teaching or learning arragements in which teachers and learners carry out their essential task and responsibilities apart from one another, communicating in a variety of ways for the purpose of freeing internal learners from inappropriate class pacing or patterns, of providing external learners with opportunities to continue learning in their own environments, and of developing in all learners the capacity to carry on self-directed learning, by C. Wedemeyer in his study, named as independent Study, in 1971. Wedemeyer’s defination still involves an element of communication between teacher and learner at some point in the process. As such it is related to concept of distance education which stress the independent self-pacing nature of the student’s learning. It is not enough to say that independent study is learning on one’s own without establish the context within which a student exercises his or her independence. Total independence takes one into areas covered by, for example teach-yourself books and educational broadcasting in which the element of two-way communications essential in distance teaching is absent (Rumble and Harry, 1982, p. 13).
Let’s turn to the Kegan’s defination on external study concept in the same book. It is given a place of External Study concept as: External studies is the term most widely used in Australia. It describes well the ethos of distance education as found in Australian universities and colleges of advenced education; a form of education that is ‘external to’ but not ‘separated from the faculty staff of the institution. The same staff has two group students, one on-campus, on the other external, and they prepare both groups for the same examination and awards. However, ‘external studies’ can have little claim to general acceptance because of its limitation to Australia and because of possible confusion with programmes structured differently such as American external degree (Keegan, 1990, p.30)
On the same page Keegan continues to describe of the distance teaching or teaching at a distance by quoting from Moore as follows:
These two terms have been used as a characteristic of this form of education for over a decade. All these teaching methods in which, because of physical separation of learners and teachers, the interactive (stimulation,, explanation, questioning, guidance) as well as the preactive phase of teaching (selecting, objectives, planning curriculum and instructional stratigies), is conducted through print, mechanical or electronic devices (Quoted from Moore 1973, p. 669 by Keegan, 1990p. 30).
Keegan points out that this term does not enough to tell or emphase of the term of distance education. He indicates his thinkings dealt with the Teaching at a Distance as follows: The term has grown greatly in popularity since the inception of the English Open University (EOU) which used it for its journal, Teaching at distance. It is, nevertlles, inadequate for the field of education we want to define. Just as ‘distance learning’ would be too student-based as an overall term and would tend to ignore the role of the institution, so ‘distance teaching’ is too teacher-oriented and places all the emphasis on the institution (Keegan, 1990, p. 30).
Distance educaton is very important development for our century by giving education to the people who are living different geography, in different age and different learning capacity. This people who have lost their educating chance for many reasons such as age, illness, war, some family retionships, economic and geographical problems and so on.
Distance education provides educational opportunity to its target by preparing some harmonical combining educational components such as printed course materials, creating face to face interaction medium for academic counselling and student guiding, using satellite, internet, video or teleconferences, broadcasting radio and television courses and the other student support services like library, online communication and computer assisted instruction so on.
As well as known, ideally, the learners and teachers of the distance education systems or institutions are separate from eachother. As being one of the member of the distance education institution, learners are desire to be in good contacts with their instution due to course. This basic necessity has a very important value for the learners and distance education institutions. And also, it is very important to establish beneficially communication channels for a good contacts with its learners for the institutions beside giving quality education to them. In this point, distance education institutions try to establish a good contact with its learners.
Nowadays our century’s developments of on communication technology and developments in electrical world gives a chance to the distance education systems or institutions to establish better communication ways than before they did. 21st Century has bright future for the communication and electronic communication technology developments. Jetkins explains our age in the name of open or distance learning as placed below:
The age of information technology has, paradoxically, seen renewed emphasis on face-to-face and interpersonal contact as a component of good open and distance learning -the recognition that while most people can do most their learning at a distance, learners generally do better with a rounded learning support system which includes some personal contact. Increasingly, distance learning systems are designed to accommodate this kind of interaction, both incorprated within courses and associated with learning environment with guidance on course selection, through orientation to self-study and well-planned support, disadvantaged adults with a low level of basic education can study groups listening to the radio, with trained group leaders. The importance of interpersonal contact is manifest in the appearance in many contexts of open learning or distance education study centers -places where individuals can consults reference material and other resources.
Secondly, new information and communications technology applications in education have given an immense boost to open and distance learning all over the world. Their immediate attraction lies in their ability to make more learning avilable at the increasing interactivity in the absence of a teacher, through for example multimedia applications and electronic communication. But such learning is available only to minority of adults, those who have easy access to computers and know how to use them (Jenkins, 1997, p. 73).
When the literature scanned, it will be seen that distance education is defined with many different explanation in different sources by different authors. In those differentation, some aspects or dimensions of the distance education have taken first plan or primarly elected by the authors or definators. According to them that aspects or dimentions of distance education has to emphasize or it is so important for the system.
It is very clear that we could not bring a new things in definition studies. In the other words; the best thing is in the defination studies; bring them together and observe that why and how the term is defined and by whom or for what primaryly pointed out. As a briefly before giving our defination here, we will try to carry on to some important definations of the distance education from different and well known authors or sources. In this meaning, of course it should known well that some sources in the literature will be old or not so new. Apart from this situtation, that we have to benefit from some limited sources. It looks as an another problem in defination studies.
Distance education definations starting from the discussions of the concepts which are using the same meaning replace of each other For example; correspondence education is used replace of the distance education such a long time in the literature.
III. Definitions Related to the Correspondance Education
Correspondance education began a century ago in the US. After nearly half a century of practice a group of mostly American and Canadian correspondence educators, most but not all from university extension division, met in Vancouver, Canada, in 1938 to form an organization which they called International Council for Correspondence Education (ICCE) Conferences of these correspondence educators were held about every four years, and it was at the conference in Warrenton, Virginia, in 1972 that the use of the term ‘distance education’ in English, and the concept of distance as a dimension of teaching and learning, was introduced. The use of the term was proposed after a search for a name that would describe not only correspondence instruction, but whole family of teaching-learning arrangements that had emerged in the 1960’s.
These arrangements had a common charecteristic that the learner and teacher were normally separated, geographically and often in time, and the communication that normally in education occured by word of mouth in a classroom was carried by correspondence, and, increasingly, by electronic media. These media came to include not only radio and television broadcasting, but audio and video recording, and teleconferencing through computer modems, telephone, satellite and microwave systems (Moore, 1990, p. xiv). In 1967 Dohmen’s definition from the Germany, director of the German Distance education Institute (DIFF) at Tübingen, is;
Distance education (Fernstudium) is systematically organised form of self-study in which student counselling, the presentation of learning material and the securing and supervising of student’ success is carried out by a team of teachers, each of whom has responsibilities. It is made possible at a distance by means of media which can cover long distances. The opposite of distance education is ‘direct education’ or ‘face-to-face’ education’ a type of education that takes a place with direct contact between lectures and
studens. (Quoted from Dohmen, 1967, by Keegan, 1990, p. 36).
According to Keegan; from this early formulation these are hihglighted: The organization of self study by an institution, use of media and, differences from direct contact between lectures and students. On the basis of the research undertaken to date, a numbers of authors –most notably Baath, Keegan, Peters, and Holmberg- have attempted to define what is meant by distance education, and thereby provide a context for furteher study. Their definitions havea built on variying practices and they reflect different backgrounds of the individual concerned (Tight, 1988, p. 56). Here it will discuss mostly quoted definitions by Holmberg, Peters and Keegan.
In 1973 again from Germany, Otto Peters’ definition is placed in the literature as show belove:
Distance teaching/education is a method of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes which is rationalised by the application of division of labor and organizational principles as well as by the extensive use of technical media, especially for the purpose of reproducing high quality teaching material which makes it possible to instruct the great numbers of students at the same time whereever they live. It is an industrialised form of teaching and leaning (Quoted from Peters 1973, by Keegan, 1990, p. 37).
According to Keegan; characteristics of Peters’ position are: The use of technical media, the mass education of students at a distance; and the industralization of the teaching process. In 1977 without motification Michael Moore’s definition 1973, distance education defined is:
Distance teaching may be defined as the family of instructional methods in which the teaching behaviours are executed apart from the learning behaviours, including those that in a contiguous situation would be perfomed in the learner’s presence, so that communication between the teacher and learner must be facilitated by print, electronic, mechanical or other devices (Quoted from Moore 1973, by Keegan, 1990, p. 37).
According to Keegan; central points of the Moore’s definition is: The separation of teacher and learner; and the use of technical media. As well as known the term ‘distance education is defined by Holmberg Borje in 1977, which is pleaced belove:
The term ‘distance education’ covers the various form of study at all level which are not under the continuous, immediate supervision of tutors present with their students in lecture rooms or on the same premises, but which, nevertless, benefit from the planning, guidance and tution of a tutorial organization (EDRS, 1990, p.1-2).
Holmberg’s definition contains two elements which can be considered as: The separation of teacher and learner, and the planning of an educational organization. Its main charecteristic is that on non-contiguous, i.e. mediated communication. Distance study denotes the activity of the students, distance teaching that of the tutorial organization. There are evidently two chief partners in the teaching process, i.e. the student and the distance teaching organization with its tutors, counsellors and administrators. The organization means here can be school, a university, an assocation or an educational private company.
Perry and Rumble are giving their brief explanation on what is distance education? For education to occur, there must be someone who needs educating and someone to do educating. This implies that there is both a learner and a teacher, and some form of two way communication between them. The teacher must have something he or she wishes to tell the learner, the learner must make some response to the teacher, and the teacher must then provide some feedback to the learner on what the latter he said or written. the learner, in order to be educated, must acquire three things:
knowledge, skills and understanding. Learners must know something (knowledge), they must know how to use that knowledge (skill) and they must know why thel are using it and what its value is in the widest possible context (understanding).
Perry and Rumble are going on their explanations as:
In this context of education, distance education means that the learner and the teacher are not face-to-face. Thus two way communication must take place despite the fact that they are not in the same room together. This two-way communication can be established using any medium that is available such as; postal or e-mailing, telephone, fax ,radio, television, computer, modems linkage TV or computers, interactive videodiscs etc. both of side of teaching or learning process. (Perry and Rumble, 1987, p.1)
Antonhy Kaye agrees with Keegan’s 1986 definition on distance education concept which is: Distance education in contrast to traditional or campus-based education, is characterised by a clear separation in space and time of the majority of teaching and learning activities. Teaching is to a large degree mediated through various technologies (print, audio, video, broadcasting, computers, etc.), and learning generally takes a place on an indivi dual basis through supported independent study in the student’s home, or work place. the quality of the teaching materials andthe level and wariety support for independent study depends on the nature and resourses of the institution or organisation responsible for a given programme, and the available communication infrastructure (Kaye, 1989, p. 6-7).
As shown above, there are many differet definition of distance education, but Kevin Smith think in his article which is titled as ”Distance Education: Touching With Technology”, to be agreed distance education definition includes the separation of teacher and learner, the involvement of an educational organization, the use of media and the provision of two way communication between teacher and the learner. Of all the characteristics, the emphasis on ‘two way communication’ is the most central for it is the interactive nature of the media on which his focusing. tnis definition of distance education can be fleshed out a little if we consider what is necessary fon an effective system (Smith, 1990, p. 4).
As distance education evolved, so have the roles of students, teacher and institution in the teaching system. As noted by Sir John Daniel from Keegan that as recently as till 1980s, distance education was defining in terms of the correspondence tradition. According to the increasing remote-classroom approach, Moore’s earlier and simplier defination changed to the inclusive: distance education is the family of instructional methods in which the teaching behaviours are executed from the learning behaviours. (Daniel, 1996, p. 56) A book is published and titled as Open Learning in Transition, for the 25th Anniversary Founding of the National Extension College (NEC), in 1988. Additionally, it is dedicated to the memory of Michael Young and Brian Jackson whose their energy and commitment to second-chance education which is resulted founding of NEC twenty five years ago.
In that, book distance education is defined by J. Daniel as being educational openless should give a possibility of the study to people previously excluded and be called open learning. Learner can also have either without the other. Daniel focused on endeavours that are both open learning and distance education. Distance education means simply forms of instruction that rely heavily on ways of communicating other than meeting face-to-face. These forms of instruction can be called open learning if they make education accessible to more people (Daniel, 1988, p.127).
Sharifah Alwiah Alsagoff is agree of Daniel and his friends definition in his article which is named as; “Training Needs in the Use of Media For Distance Education in Malaysia”. He defines that distance education is an educational approach in which the learner is separated from institution by time and/or space. Communication in distance education is non-contiguous but interactive. Courses involve various media rather than face-to-face teaching (Alsagoff, 1990, p. 155).
Anna Stahmer and friends’ give their definition on their article which is titled as “Development in Telecommunication Technology For Distance Education with Reference to Developing Countries”. Distance education can be a part of open learning system which offers open access to courses, or it can be part of strict and formal degree programme. We are concered with the educational process in which a significiant porportion of learning and teaching happens while learners teachers are removed from eachother in space and time. The learner can study at home, at the place of work, or at a ‘host university’ campus, in lerning centers or through a combination of such arragements (Stahmer et al. 1990, p. 96).
IV. Definitions Related to the Information Technologies
In whichever, media-based education, like print-based, computer-based or broadcasting-based etc. institution or education systems, the main elements of the separation teacher and learner are given a place all these well known definitions. It should not forget that there is a relationship between structure of the learning materials and the linking of these learning materials for effectively using by studends depends on differentation of the educational organization and its media planning. The most notable charecteristic of distance education is that communication between learners and teachers is through print, writing or by electronic media such as broadcasts, recordings narrowcasts by cable, satellite, ITFS, and fiber tranmission, interactive telecommunication by computer, audio and video teleconfereces or, as is increasingly common, combinations of these educational components of the commuiucaional channels or media.
A second significiant charecteristic of distance education arises from the first. It consists of a new approach to instraction, with the process of teaching being broken into its consiquent parts. Some or all of these are prepared away from learner, and communicated to the learner through the communication technology, with the possibility of interaction between learner and an instructor also being through communication technology.
In distance education, courses are usually design for distribution to audience that are larger, and over geographic areas that are wider than conventional educaion. Although course materials are produced more centrally, local instructors help learners make individual sense of, and develop critical responses to them (Moore, 1989, p. 1).
So that we can summarize and synthesise these definitions according to the role and effectivly influence of the educational organization, separating teacher and learners dealt with the using media or faced technological medium, way of established communication type; one way or two way ect, privatization and the industrialization of the education.
V. Definitions Structured on Global Scale
Distance education defines as a type of education that takes place when a teacher and student(s) are separated by physical distance and technology (i.e. voice, video, data and print). These type of programs can provide adults with a second change at a college education, reach those disadvantaged by limited time. Distance or physical disability, and update knowledge base of workers at their places of employment (Fesibility Analysis......Final Report, 1997, 2-3).
On a global scale, educators are heralding the advent of computer-based technology as the great equalizer that will provide instant education in developing countries. As scholar begin to see the impact that these new electronic media are having on the school, the family and the workplace, they are drawn to a more thorough exemination of the economic, political, and social effects that technologies are having on ways of thinking on cultural values (McIsaac, 1993, p. 219).
Globalism and obligation to the life style and scientifical integration of global changing mentioned in United Nations University’s Second Medium-Term Perspective for 1990-95 Period with the global responsibilities especially from point of developing countries view. (Global Change....., 1989, p. 3. The powerful forces now operating at the global level can only be understood and managed through collabrative effort and incorporating perspectives of diverse cultures and religions. It is necessary torecognize that this implies the need for a much higher level awareness of the far-reaching effects of our actions. Individuals, communities and nations must increasly take into account the fact that their actions may have impacts far beyond their immediate sphere of concern or influence and must also take responsibility for the cosequence.
This in turn requires people to be fully involved in the decisions and strategies that are needed to deal with global changes resultings from these actions. Such participation is so important as Turkey, for the young, particularly in developing countries where a majority of the population is under 25 years old, and for women, whose role in providing for basic needs in the family and community is a significiant factor in the development process.
McIsaac gives a place to global culture concept depending Featherstone’ opinion. In commenting upon the globalization of cultures, scholars such as Featherstone (1990), he indicates in his study which titled as “Global Culture”- agreed that the cultures no longer represent groups of individual nation-states, but rather subgroups of people worldwide who share common jobs, vocabulary, experiences, and traditions. These people come from many economic, social and religions backgrounds and share, in the postmodernist tradition, a diversity, variety, and richness of customs and distinctive forms of social life. the belief, values, traditions, and symbols reflected in various segments of our postmodern, interdependent world cross national lines. Subcultures share common traditions, symbols, and languag, and may rely on telecommunication and computerized networks of information. the present postindustrial society emphasizes the instant availability of information through mass media, the disappearance of small competing national sectors, and a forging of common interests using telecommunication networks and computerized information resources for the perceived economic benefit of the community.
Educators working with distance-learning technologies such as computer and telecommunication networks are called on to design curricula, frequently for ethnically diverse populations. Distance education in which the instructor and learner are at a distance from each other, is particulary well suited for the use of computers and global information networks.
How can educators utilize these telecommunication systems and computerized networks to promote rather than stifle cultural diversity? How can the technology of education be made to work for rather than against the preservation of multiple cultural identities? As an educational tool, the computer communicates such values as the significance of knowledge, the importance of the individual as problem solver, and the supremacy of the logic. The computer offers an excellent example of technology that assumes a very specific rationale for knowing.
Distance education can be defined as a teaching and learning assited by telecommunications (Ýþman, 1997). In this system, learning and teaching facilities are delivered from one place to one or more other places by telecommunication technologies and mail system. This definition of distance education takes us to global distance education. In other meaning this is new and this chapter’s summary defination on distance education. Distance education systems can be have been succesflly implemented the nation level in several countries. Thus, it is possible that distance education can be delivered internationally using globally interconnected telecommunication technologies, such as satellite, fiber optics, telephone services (Ýþman, 1995, p. 2).
In our century, internet and teleconference systems are using very widespreadly as being one of student support services by distance education institutions and by its learner. Including written, visual and audio elements, internet is favourable me diu m for the learners. And also, teleconference system is real ize to bring together teacher and learner who are in different place. It is possible to attend to the teleconference by internet by adding sound and visual card in to their computer at home. At the beginning establishing cost is quite expensive of the internet. But, when we think publishing and distributing cost of printed materials, preparing and broadcasting cost of television and radio course production materials and cost of face to face counselling organization, internet is geting a cheaper cost than the other materials produced for the course. It takes us to virtual classroom which almost every teaching course materials present to learners at internet medium as soon as, like end of by 2000 years.
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by Uður Demiray & Aytekin Ýþman
I. Introduction
At the beginning of this chapter we would like to give brief overview of distance education outline or milestones in its developing history,. Than we will give some details on historical developments period of distance education. As discussed definition of the distance education in other chapter; it does not matter that whatever as is named, distance education not a new concept. It is widely used in all over the world today, in such countries as the The United States, Canada, Australia, Russia, India, most of African countries and like England, Germany, Turkey, Sweden, The Netherlands in Europe and Eastern European countries as Poland, Hungary and Romania etc., since nearly more than hundered years. Its mean isdistance education’s roots virtually, goes back to nearly 150 years.
In this ontext, history of distance education can be dicuss generaly in five clear periods. This periods are can be listed as:
* A period of before correspondence education. Some educational activities which are try to aiding for lack of education process before constructing and establishing correspondence education systems.
* Heavily applied correspondence education systems period. Correspondence education systems widely used printed materials by using postal system for delivery such books, newspapers, guide books or other printed medium for realising their aim.
* Instructional radio and television which is called one-way communicational period by broadcasting. In this period broadcasting radio and television used functionally beside of printed material for being audio and visualising of course materials.
* Than started two- way communicational audio and inteactive period. With two-way audio and video between teachers and students these emerging technologies, educators are able to include more interaction in educating at a distance.
* In delivery of distance education, the fifth period can be describe usin satelitte and future technologies which are integrating via computer and computer combining systems. Telecommunication technologies such as radio, television, video cassette, computer, satellite, and fiber-optics are aiding educators by development in communication and electronic industry.
Before Correspondence Education Period: The approaching to teaching used in early Christian church illustrate different educational and training methods and some key concept of modern distance education. Christ taught face-to-face in small and large groups. Teacher and taught had to be peresent at the same time, which is now called synchronous communication. St. Paul, however, who had the challenge of instructing a dispersed community, developed a method of distance education.
He wrote letters to individual church groups and asked local church elders to read them to their community when it assembled for worship. the analogy with the tutors and study group of modern distance education is clear. Since each copy had to be handwritten and many church members were illiterate, there was little oppornunity for individuals study Paul’s letters at home. Paul directed his approach to groups. It was a forerunner of the remote-classroom approach to distance education. From Paul’s standpoint communication was asynchronous because he was not present when his letters were studied. However, for the church groups communication was synchronous because they listened together to reading of the letters (Daniel,1995, p. 6).
According to Dean (1994), the earliest models of distance learning were only preprinted correspondence courses based system. Using this approach, there was no face to face or voice to voice interaction between teachers and students because basic telecommunication technologies such as television and radio were not yet invented. In the correspondence education system, only the postal service was available for educators to deliver their instruction to students who lived in other places. Teachers sent their correspondence study materials to their students by mail. The students returned their answers to the teacher and waited their grades to be delivered by mail. Now telecommunication based distance education including real time interaction is a part of distance teaching and training at all levels, from primary school to university, for formal as well as non-formal education around the world.
Of course, early distance education applications were running in correspondence education form. Infact, the first correspondence style is started by appearing in newspapers, aiming to educate people. While the term ‘distance Education’ is more than hundered years old, recently the field is reborn parallel to the new developments and innovations at technology. Substantially, rapid progress in technology changed the nature of distance education. Historical milestones of the distance education can be summarised as fallows:
In 1833, an advertisement in a Swedish Newspaper opened to study “Composition Through The Medium of Post”. In 1971 an advertisement was found in Boston Gazette of March 20, 1728, Quoting the offer self-instructructional materials in shorhand (and possible correspondence education). In 1977 it was quoted the following advertisement of 1833 (in Lunds Weckebland, Lund Sweden), which expilicitly refers to postal teaching:
A card.
The undersigned respectfully inimates to those Ladies and gentlemens, in the adjanet Towns,who study Composition Through The Medium of Post that the address or the month of August, will be little Grey Friars Street, Lund. A. J. Mueller (From Holmberg, 1982, p. 47)
The main goal of correspondence education was to provide equal educational opportunities for everyone in the country. It helped colleges, universities, and state departments of education to solve problems of equal education. Distance education began from its origins in correspondence education. Correspondence education programs were developed in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, China, and USA in places where people lived far away from each other.
Other variants of distance education began in Britain, in 1836 when the University of London added external examination application in its system. Main aim was to offer a credible examination service to people studying in small colleges. However, the porportion of candidates preparing themselves for the exams by private study grew steadly.
By the end of century over 60% of those graduating in Arts through the external examination system had studied with the (private) Correspondence College (Daniel, 1995, p. 7). After seven years later of 1833; in 1840 Englands newly established penny post allowed Isaac Pitman to offer shorthand instruction via correspondence. According to Glatter and Wedell’s study on, ‘Study by Correspondence’ is indicated that, correspondence education started about 1840, when the orginal instruction was send to students in shorthand by post-card (Glatter and Wedell, 1971, p. 4). In 1843 this type of instruction was formalised by the foundation of the “Phonographic Correspondence Society".
Distance education in the form of correspondence study was established by Charles Toussaint and Gustav Langenscheidt to teach language in 1856, Berlin, Germany. Later on this correspondence studies are verified for many field. Correspondence study crossed the Atlantic in 1873, with founding by Anna Tickner to encourge study at home. Between 1883-1891, academic degree were authorized by the State of New York, through the Chautauqua School of Liberal Arts to students who completed the curriculum of the required summer school and correspondence courses.
According to Glatter and Wedell (1971), Commercial Ventures such as University Correspondence College, Wolsey Hall, Chambers, Clough's Foulks Lynch and Skerry's were delivering instruction to their students during this period in England. Most of these colleges were located near postal offices to quickly deliver their instruction to students. Correspondence education at the university level was soon established. On the European continent, the offering of courses through the mail was an established practice by 1856 (MacKenzie, Christensen and Rigby, 1968, p. 24). In this instruction, a French teacher and a German writer opened a school for teaching language by correspondence. It was closed during World War II. According to MacKenzie, Christensen, and Rigby (1968), the Society to Encourage Studies at Home opened the first correspondence study program in 1873 in the USA. The Correspondence University was established in Ithaca, New York in 1883 (MacKenzie, Christensen, and Rigby, 1968, p. 26).
By 1880, there was a growing desire among thousands of adults for further pursuit studies at the college level but geography, age, or occupational factors frequently separated them from college communities (Mackenzie and Christensen, 1971 p. 39). For this reason, teachers and officers of the boards of education in England began to think about the founding of Correspondence University. Such programs were being more systematically organized by 1890. In 1891, the correspondence depart ment of The Colliery Engineer decided to offer some correspondence instruction in arithmetic, mine ventilation, geology of coal, methods of mining, mining legislation, and mine surveying and mapping in England (see Mackenzie and Christensen, 1971). Baylor University in Texas opened a correspondence program in 1897 at about the same time as the state normal school at Willimantic, Connecticut, began a correspondence ope ration (MacKenzie, Christensen, and Rigby, 1968, p. 29).
Correspondence Education: In the late 1800’s, at the University of Chicago, the first major correspondence program in the United States was established in which the teacher and learner were at different locations. The early efforts of educators like William Rainey Harper in 1890-92 to established alternatives were laughed at Columbia University Correspondence Department. And during 20 years many institutions feel to scanning to their system for to reconstructing. Correspondence study, which was designed to provide educational opportunities for those who were not among the elite and who looked down on as inferior education (McIsaac and Gunawardena, p. 5).
Correspondence studies became an integral to some colleges, universities and correspondence institutions(such as Wosley Hall, Chambers, Clough’s Foulks Lynch and Skerry’s College, University Correspondence College) and some universities (Illinois Wesleyan, University 1877, correspondence University 1883, University of Winsconsin, 1885, University of Columbia, 1890-92 and Extention Department of the University of Chicago, 1892).
Correspondence education in developed countries is more than hundered years old and had its origin in private concern like mentioned above. University Correspondence College in Cambridge, 1887, establihed by Dr. W. Briggs Wolsey Hall College in Oxford, 1894 and Metropolitan college in London, 1910 which are provided correspondence tuition to the enrolled students. In other countries like Germany, Scandinavia, France and USA correspondence courses started in industrialised cities to
help private students.
In Sweden, Hans Hermod opened a small private school in Melmö where he taught languages and commercial subjects in 1890. Dahllöf (1988) indicate that the importance of the Hermods’ movement in the name of secondary education in his article which is presented in Oslo as follows: Under such condition it is do wonder that such a pioneer institutions in Malmö expended heavily in 1940s and 1950s, when the social demand for post-compulsory education was rapidly growing but not yet met by the public school system.
During this period a limited number of private and/or state supported correspondence institutes played a very strategic role in the provision of secondary education both for youth and adults in sparsely populated areas and for adults in the work-force all over the country (Dahllöf, 1988, p. 16). The first printed Correspondence Lesson in Sweden tiled as “Book Keeping by Single and Double Entry” got printed in December 1898.
In Wisconsin, seven other universities founded correspondence programs between 1906 and 1910. The University of California at Berkely opened a correspondence education program in 1913. In Baltimore, the home Instruction Department was founded by the state government of Maryland in 1905. By 1909, 115 children had enrolled in correspondence education (MacKenzie and Christensen, 1971, p. 37). As a further example, by 1910 International Correspondence Schools claimed a total of 184, 000 enrollments (Glatter and Wedell, 1971, p, 4). This number steadily increased up to 1950.
In France, Ecole Universelle Correspondence established in Paris,1907.And In 1939, France Centre National d’Enseignement par Correspondence started in Paris, for to educate people who are lost education opportunity for the reason World War I. Also, National Centre for Correspondence teaching to look after the education of children who got displaced due to war. This institution is existing even now and looks after the education of handicapped children and children in hospital who cannot get to school “Tietomies” is Finnish word. Its meaning is “Man of Knowledge” which is the first correspondence institution of Finland, established in 1947. Nowadays the institute functions as part of Rastor Institute. there are two quite clear distinguishable periods in the training activitity of Tietomies. Typical for the first, the so-called ‘Period of free-form study’ (1946-1956), was vagueness of tnaining goals and fragmentation of study programs. During the second, the so-called ‘period of goal-directed study’ (1956 to the present), clear goals were set for training and it was directed primarily at work supervisors and company officials (Tuomisto, 1987, p.18).
Beginning in 1914, Norway established its first correspondence education. In 1962, there were 142,801 students enrolled. In 1947 The Netherlands founded their correspondence education in some levels, in 1960, this program had 420,072 students and offered 1486 correspondence courses, In 1953 Malaysia, with, 14,000 students were enrolled in this program in 1968.
The correspondence system in Canada and Australia was started due to the “Tyranny of Distance“. In 1914, Australia founded a correspondence education system because the country is huge and people live far from each other. Institutions in these countries catered to the educational needs of learners in sparsely populated rural and bush areas.
Correspondence institutions gradually realised that teaching by correspondence alone would be a poor substitute for formal education. Therefore, some contact sessions were made a part of correspondence education. Distance education began to enrich the secondary school curriculum in the 1920’s. In Europe, there was a steady expansion of distance without radical changes in structure, but with gradually more sophisticated methods and media employed (audio recordings, laboratory kids). On those years in the United States, advances in electronic communications technology help to determine to dominant medium of distance education.
In the 1920’s at least, 176 radio stations were constructed at the educational institutions although most were gone by the end of the decade. After a World War II, radio and television became an integral part of correspondence education especially in the developed countries. Dealing with this improvments, Malhotra (1985), emphasises that whatever be the compulsions for the emergence correspondence education in India or abroad, the fact remains that it has now come to stay and has become an important sub-system of the overall educational system in almost all countries. (Malhotra, 1985, p.3)
In early 1930’s experimental television teaching programs were produced at the University Iowa, Prude University, and Kansas State College. In France, correspondence education was adopted by Ministry of Education -as opposed to voluntary and commercial institution in the other parts of Europe-(Young and et. al, 1980, p. 15).
In 1950’s college credit courses were offered via broadcast television. Satellite technology, developed in 1960’s and made cost-effective in 1980’s enable the rapid spread of institutional television. After 1960, the correspondence education began to diffuse around the world. For example, The Ministry of Education of Denmark made decision on beginning to the correspondence education after 1960. During 1967-68, correspondence courses were available from various department of all ten provincial governments, from thirteen universities, from four institutions of technology, and a number of private schools and associations in Canada. The past 80 years in Turkey have witnessed dramatic changes. The country, since 1920, has changed its alphabet to the Roman one and established the importance of secularism (the complete separation of religion and politics) in the running of the government. In the 1970's Turkey began to search for new ways to develop its own educational strategy in order to expand the opportunities for its citizens. It was believed, and enacted into law, that education should be the main responsibility of the government. Many feel that the concept of educational eqality become more meaningful in those years. Correspondence education was opened in 1970 in Turkey. The correspondence education was changed its name in 1982. It is called "The Open Education Faculty” established by Anadolu University in the name of Turkish Distance Education Program. Now it is according to J. Daniels study (see Daniel, 1995 and 1996); one of the sixth mega-universities in the world (Demiray, 1997, p. 14).
Between 1940-1980, a lot of countries such as China, Mongolia, in 1963 Japan, Malaysia, India, and others founded their correspondence education program in all levels in education. In 1964 Zambia and in 1978 Nigeria established their correspondence institutions. Between 1940-1980, a lot of countries such as China, Mongolia, Japan, Malaysia, India, and others founded their correspondence education program in all levels in education. There are some other examples around the world. First, In 1964, Zambian Government founded secondary correspondence education. Second, Nigeria established correspondence education in 1978. This program began to deliver its instruction by mail to students. Last example is that India established an Open school to deliver secondary distance education nationally; in 1989 this became the National Open School (see for detail to the International Encyclopedia of Education, 1993). So, correspondence education are still emerged in some countries in where telecommunication technologies are not available for regular life and educational system.
II. One-Way Communication Period
Broadcast Instructional Radio and Television
The industrial revolution occurred during 1800's and the revolution of telecommunication technology emerged after 1950 have been influenced correspondence education. Correspondence educators began to think about using telecommunication technologies beside printed materiels such as radio and television in their program to deliver their instruction from the main campus to students. During this process, the name of correspondence education was changed and then called distance education. All international countries began to develop their correspondenceprograms and to use telecommunication technologies in their distance education programs. Besides postal services, they first used radio in the distance education to deliver their instruction to students.
Radio in Distance Education Wireless radio was invented in 1895. After that the first patent for radio obtained by Marconi in 1896 and then the first translantic message was send to other place in December, 1901. Until 1910, radio broadcaster did not have any regulations or rules for their services in USA. For this reason, the Radio Act passed by Congress on August 13, 1912 was the first act regarding interstate communication by radio including issuance and registration of licenses (Buckland and Dye, 1991, p. 4). St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia in 1912 received the first the license. After the first license, other schools began to apply for radio license. The National University Extension Association was organized in 1916 at the University of Wisconsin (MacKenzie and Christensen, 1971, p. 53). This correspondence program delivered its instruction by radio in 1916. A lot of correspondence students received their class from radio and postal services. In the mid-1920, British department of education began to provide schools with radio based instruction to support education in Britain. 10,000 schools were using radio programs broadcast by the BBC to support classroom teachers (Kenworthy, 1991, p. 12). After 1925, the use of radio in distance education started to diffuse around the world but the diffusion of use of radio in education around the world took many years because the development of radio technology was very slow in its first years.
The reason for using radio in education was that the capacity of formal schools was not enough to accept all applications. People also separately lived in small villages and towns. Government did not have money to found formal school in the each village and town. The educators thought that radio could be used in education to teach. As early as the mid-1920s radio was used to support distance education in schools in Britain (McGreal, 1991, p. 12). By the late thirties, 10, 000 schools were using radio programs broadcast by the BBC to support classroom teachers. In 1929, China began to use radio in their education system to support education. In 1930, radio was used in school classroom in USA. There was no voice to voice communication between students and teachers. It was a one-way broadcasting system. Students only were listening some instructions from the radio. Turkey, Canada, Mongolia, India, Africa, Columbia and others followed this technological development in their education system. For example, Canada started using radio in the correspondence education in 1930. During the 1930, Australia also began to use radio in their distance education programs (see Kenworth, 1991).
In the 1947, Columbian government started to use radio in their education. In the 1949, Indian government decided to use radio to support education and deliver their instruction to students who could not go to school. In Japan, the Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) started broadcasting radio programs specifically for high school correspondence education students on a local basis in 1951 (MacKenzie and Christensen, 1971, p. 327).
Turkish Government began to use radio in the distance education program in 1973. Turkish Correspondence program transferred their instruction to students by radio. Therefore, Radio had been used in distance education for a long time (Demiray, 1990). It, combined with correspondence instruction, provided students with teachers' voice in some cases in which teachers were not readily available and the students needed to hear to learn something. Besides radio, television also used, are still using and will use in the distance education.
The first experiment with television began in 1874 when Paul Nipkow invented a mechanical system for transmitting views by direct wire (Buckland and Dye, 1991, p. 11).
Viladamir Zworykin got first patent for television. At the same year, President Warren Harding was on the television screen. People stayed in Philadelphia saw the president's picture who was in Washington in USA. Federal government in USA helped to develop television broadcasting. Furthermore, American Congress made decision on a regulate television broadcasting. During the depression, all educational television closed and reduced their budgets (see Buckland and Dye, 1991).
After the depression, educational televisions were in production in USA. For example, between 1932 and 1934, the State University of Iowa, and Kansas State College produced some educational programs. In 1938, the National Broadcasting Company did a presentation on using television in college classroom. On the other hand, some distance educators believed that television was not ready for distance education because the cost effective, quality and technical limitations. After 1940's, educators and television engineers did a lot of research on television and education. It was getting better everyday.
During the World War II, the development of television was continued in the world.on June 1, 1944, John W. Studebaker requested two channels for education from FCC. In 1945, FCC gave a permission to establish educational television. After that, colleges and universities were involved in educational televisions. For example, University of Michigan started educational broadcasting services in 1950 in USA. New York University and CBS produced some educational programs in 1957. A lot of distance education programs in the world began to use television to support their distance education programs. In today's USA, commercial and public television stations produced educational programs for distance education. 29 million students are able to receive these programs at their home or schools. Some programs are transmitted by cable system to schools and homes. The learning channel is available to 20,000 schools and 17 million households throughout the United States and offers courses in many school subjects.
In 1961, television first was used in university level for correspondence students in Japan. Many correspondence education programs produced a lot of distance programs. In USSR, many broadcasts on television are organized for students in correspondence education. The Russian Universities produced their programs which cover all instruction of correspondence education.In Czechoslovakia, television is used in distance education system. In Hungary, educators also began to deliver their instruction by television in 1952. In 1966, French ministry of education made decision about delivering the instruction by television to students. First French experiment on television occurred during the five weeks of the 1966' summer vacation. 39,000 were enrolled this program and received instruction by mail system. During 1968, American and British colleges and universities cooperated with open-circuit television stations-both commercial and educational to produce instructional programs (MacKenzie, Christensen and Rigby, 1968). Frequently students in USA and UK were offered textbooks and sometimes a full course of instruction by correspondence to accompany the television sessions. Some universities had offered college credit to students participating at home in such programs. However, an important potential for televised instruction lied in closedcircuit television during the 1968.
After 1970 or 1975, the use of television in distance education was diffused around the world. For example, Turkish distance education department began to use television in order to deliver their instruction to students in 1982.
Second example is Canada. Canada began to use television to support their distance education in 1980. Distance education students are still receiving the instruction from television. In 1985, about 200 television programs were made and more than 27 hours of television were broadcast each week in USA (Moore, 1986, p. 5). Universities delivered their instruction by television. A lot of distance education students watched their courses on television. Spain, Israel, Germany, Canada, Pakistan, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Thailand, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka also used television in their distance education programs to support distance education. Open University in Australia, the Radio Television University in China and The Open University Britain also used and are still using television because using television can enhance the quality of the distance education program (see Holmberg, 1990). In China a nationwide educational program via satellite was established in 1986 (see The International Encyclopedia of Education, 1993, p. 1565). The satellite TV Education Network has more than 400 relay stations, and 30,000 receiving stations. One channel broadcasts 17 hours a day, with 11 hours given to teacher training. So, television has been used in distance education to increase the quality of its instruction around the world for many years.
It can be said that established at that time radio and television were already widespread and set up as national institutes in a number of countries, the open universities were an influential factor in the development of distance education programs (see The International Encyclopedia of Education, 1991, p. 1558). Today, distance education is widely provided with the radio and television instruction to support distance education. On the other hand, new telecommunication technologies such as computer satellite, fiber-optics, and other begin to enter into the distance education programs. Now, television and computer are used together to deliver the distance education's instruction. There are some software available such as cu-se-me.
Thus, the structure of distance education is changing each day. After having experiences on one way radio and television broadcasting in distance education, instructional designers began to look at new instructional model which can offer two-way interaction between teacher and students.
III. Two-Way Audio and Video Interactive System
When evaluated developments between 1960 and 1990 of the distance education accelerated as a result of both technological and political developments. Two innovations were of note, the use of telecommunications to link remote classroom and enrichment of correspondence education by the integration of other media.
Developments in this period (1960-1990) can be summarize in distance education, first, telecommunication with remote classroom. The arrival of effective audio teleconferencing technology allowed an instructrator to offer a course at numerous sites simultaneously. The University of Winconsin implemented such a system in the 1970s. Soon afterwords satellites could transmit video signals to remote classroom network. Since then this form of distance educationhas developed steadly, especially in the United States. A good axample is the National Technological University, a consortium of engineering schools which offers graduate-level courses by satellite across the USA and internationally.
Second is the diversification of media fo correspondence tution. policies of widening access to tertiary education, combined with the ability of public television and radio broadcasting network for this development was the Uk open University. helped by strong political support, the UKOU’s founders created an instution that quickly earned a high reputation for quality and effectiveness (Daniel, 1995, p. 7). Since beginning 1990’s developments in new desktop computers has allowed its
users to combine text, graphic, video, audio and virtual reality to easily communicate in the name of teaching/learning an educating themself.
At the same time wider bandwith and integrated Service Digital Networks (ISDN) has provided for networking of computers, and using them for live video confenrencing, collaborative computing, and holding forums, and chat (which is given a place in the other chapter) session. (See Feasibility, 1997, p. 1-3). Especially after invention of the radio and broadcasting technologies and recorddings narrowcasts by cable, satellite, ITFS, fiber tranmission, interactive telecommunication by computer, audio, video or teleconfereces changed correspondence education systems’ structure dealing with the parallel to the developments of tcommunication and electronic technology in the name of distance education in education field. The institutions are reached their target learners in a shorter time, chaper
and to the larger groups who are distrubuted in all over country, even, peoples who are living out of country borders.
On those years institutions are desined their instruction materials with radio and televison programs as being audio and visual supporting components in their running. These media came to include not only radio and television broadcasting, but audio and video recordings, and teleconferencing through computer recordings, narrowcasts by cable or wire, from satellite, ITFS, fiber tranmission, interactive telecommunication by computer, audio and video or teleconfereces, modems, telephone, and microwave systems (Moore, 1990, p. xiv).Instructional television (ITV) was a much-touted distance learning model 1960s; although ITV fell far short of early expectations, today’ telecourses and educational programs reach many learners in diverse settings (U.S. Congress, 1989, p. 25).
In 1962 decision that the University of South Africa would become a distance teaching university brought about a fundamental change in the way distance education was practiced in much of the world.
The Open University in the United Kindom at 1971 being a distance education/teaching university, it was offering full degree programs, sophisticated corses, and the innovative use of media. After this radical changing in educatidon, many countries started to the distance education method; like China, Costa Rica, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and the others. This period of distance education is based on two-way audio and video conference system between students and teachers. It may be called "audio-conferencing" and "videoconferencing".
In these both systems, satellite and fiber-optics are used to deliver the instruction among distance students groups to create two-way communication system. In the audioconferencing, teachers and students can contact voice to voice and ask some questions each other. Also the application of voice-based teleconferencing technology has gained increasing prominence in modern distance education, especially as a compliment to traditional print and postal-based methods (Perrin and Perrin, 1991, p. J- 1). Audioconference systems, which consist of loud-speaker telephones interconnected by a conference bridge, enable multiple locations to be in simulations communication with each other, creating a virtual classroom. During 1980s, it was popular in the distance education. Many examples about using the audioconferencing can be found around the world.
Interactive videoconferencing for distance classroom instruction allows students to be perceived as persons rather than a student ID number, as the instructor can call on them by name and make eye contact (Dean, 1994, p. 3).
With the development of telecommunication technologies such as satellite, television, fiber-optics, and other, video conferencing began to became a major vehicle for distance education programs in 1990 around the world. Teacher can give immediate feedback on the students' questions. There is a two-way face to face interaction in this model like traditional face to face model in the videoconferencing system. The quality of video conferencing is getting better everyday in the international distance education programs.
There are many examples about using two-way communication system in the distance education around the world. The movement from the use of postal services to the use of audio and video conference system in the distance education programs can be seen around the world between 1980-1995. With the invention of satellite and fiber optics around the 1957, the teleconference system began to diffuse fast in the distance education programs around the world.
During the 1980's, the University of Wisconsin, which has a state-wide audioteleconferencing network, enabling professors at one side to deliver lectures to multiple classroom sites around the state, and facilitating two-way communication between professor and students. Empire State College in NY in USA, North East London Polytechnic, and Murdoc University in Western Australia occurred teleconference courses each other during 1985 (see Holmberg, 1990). During the same year, Oklahoma State University and 10 public schools designed and implemented one-way video and two-way audio class to their students. 100 students took German course from this system. At the same year, Utah Board of Education audio conference system to offer Spanish courses to 500 students. In this system, students always contacted with the instructor through a tool free phone number. TI-IN, the largest private venture delivering k-12 instruction via satellite began broadcasting in September 1985 (Batey, 1986, p. 1986). The region 29 Educational Service Center in San Antonio Texas provided the broadcast facility (and up link), selected the certified high school teachers, and developed the lesson plans. All courses delivered in two-way audio instruction system. This project is also a distance education example. In September 1986, eight school districts in Eastern Washington began receiving Spanish, Precalculus, Advanced English, or Japanese beamed from a broadcasting studio an the Eastern Washington University campus (Batey, 1986, p. 10). 200 students took these courses in one-way video and two-way audio instruction system.
Other example is The National Technological University in USA. This university offered master's courses in engineering, computer science, and business management to 300 master students across the USA in 1990-1991 (see The International Encyclopedia of Education, 1991). These students and teachers were teleconferencing each other by satellite and fiber-optic system with the remote teacher. The students learned information in two-way interactive system. In October, 1991, the first fiber optic cable for the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) was placed in Iowa soil (Ivanovic, 1995, p. 6). The ICN is a statewide fiber optic network system which can transfer video, audio, and data signals. All schools in Iowa in USA have been connected each other. Students from different high schools enroll in one class. Same teacher teach students who are in the different schools at the same time. It may be said that it is one of the best telecommunication-based distance education system around the world.
During 1992, The University Brunei Darussalam in Brunie installed videoconference system in cooperation with Mitsubishi. This university sometimes delivers its distance education instruction to students by videoconference system. Another example is Indra Gandhi National Open University in India. This university established the audioconference system in 1993. The five state open universities and the 16 regional centers have been connected each other. This university sometimes delivers their instruction by audioconference system. During the same year, The University of Kebangsaan in Malaysia installed their own audioconference system. This system is also connected with New Zealand and Canada. This University also transfers its instruction to its students live accross the Malaysia by audioconference system.
The Commonwealth Of Learning had established the first overseas videoconferencing link from North America to the institutions involved. Among the many videoconferencing sessions conducted at COL'S headquarters facilities were a series of events organized with the University of British Columbia faculty of music linking UBC and Vancouver-area professional experts with their counterparts in Australia (Perrins, 1991, p, J-4). Canada and Australia also established teleconference system together for distance education program. According to Dean (1994), approximately 15 students participated in a Spring 1993 hotel purchasing course using interactive video between the University of Nevada-Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This course was thought by Dr. Leslie and Dr. Marsha.
During the class, the students positively answered all teachers's questions because they had a face-to-face interactions with their teachers. In Kenya, University of Nairobi installed a audio conference system for their distance education programs in 1994. Both the main and Kikuyu campuses as well as six extra-mural study center have been connected. This system improved the efficiency of distance education program which had been using a combination of correspondence and visiting lecturers. Therefore, some other examples can be found in the other distance education programs. The use of audioconference and videoconference in distance education to deliver its instruction to the students have been diffusing very fast around the international distance education programs for ten years. The other telecommunication technology such as computer began to influence distance education program.
Future Technologies: Integrating Satelitte via Computer and to Its Combining Systems Computer Combination system After 1990s, computers were gradually beginning to play a greater role in distance education programs in developed countries' (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and others) distance education programs. Today, computer-aided instruction is common in distance education. Students without access to computers at home can often make use of those provided in the study centers. It may be said that computer networks offer many opportunities for distance education.
Computers have already been used in conjunction with programmed instruction in distance education. It can be used as a tutor or personal instructor because the capacity of computer to store information is too high. It has a big potential to be used in the distance education programs around the world to deliver its