An Action Research on Design, Delivery, and Evaluation of a Distance Course in a Vocational Higher Education Institution

In this chapter, the main purpose is to explain design, development, delivery, and evaluation process of a new distance web design course for the needs of students in a vocational higher education institution. It is important to highlight how wisely instructional technology was designed and used to mitigate problems to effectively support the course. Proactive action research was used as a framework of the study. This research focused on an analysis of the existing face-to-face course to mitigate its problems in the new design. Then, strengths and weaknesses of the new design in the new context were investigated. It is important to highlight that technology comes with its unique problems and opportunities. Thus, teaching in a technological environment confronts instructors with a wide range of pedagogical, technological, and physical challenges.

Distance Education Experts and the Distance Education Ecosystem

This chapter focuses on the analysis of how learners and educators perceive the role of Distance Education Educators (DEE) in a Distance Education Ecosystem (DEco). Scholars have been using ecology and ecosystem definitions as analogies through which definitions and models for creating better learning environments are discussed. This chapter presents an overview of these studies followed by the findings of a research on learner and educator perceptions regarding the role of DEEs within the DEco. The research, based on a former DEco definition compiled in a study at Anadolu University, Turkey, uses a twofold Delphi study: one conducted with experienced DE Learners (DEL) and the other with DEE. In both studies, the participants were asked to define the roles of DEE within the framework of the former DEco constituents and common and differentiating issues are analyzed. DEE, formerly described as a consumer in DEco further was categorized as an input unit, producer, and decomposer. The results revealed four key roles for DEE: empathetic facilitator, devoted expert, productive technology user, and patient negotiator.

Online Instructors as Distance Education Experts

An expert is a person with content knowledge and professional skills in a field. Are online teachers distance education experts? What are the main behavioral, cognitive, and emotional characteristics of distance education instructors? What competencies should online instructors possess in order to be distance education experts? In this chapter, the researcher examines National Educational Technology Standards for teachers, National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, and empirical research on teachers' roles and competencies to seek a definition for online instructors as distance education experts. Several issues related to online teachers' competencies and technology standards are discussed. Future research studies are recommended.

The Experts in Design of Distance Nursing Education

In this chapter, the author answer the question, How should the experts approach the design of distance nursing education? In this context, firstly, the chapter focuses on the importance of continuity of education and distance education for nurses. Secondly, it discusses the design of distance nursing education programs and the issues to be taken into account by experts. Thirdly, it explains the issues that need to be addressed in distance nursing education such as transition from teacher-centered approach to learner-centered approach, learning styles of learners, technology, interaction, presentation of content, and support services. Lastly, the chapter offers solutions and suggestions.

New Communication Technologies' Influence on Distance Education (DE) Environments

This chapter considers the influence of communication technologies and new media technology through the new trend of distance learning environment design. The new communication technologies like Web 2.0 applications involve information sharing and collaboration between users. These technologies bring the informal communication and learning styles to the forefront. Under favor of the new communication technologies' enabled networking, the main driver for the learning process is shifting from instructor-centered approaches to carefully designed learner experiences with robust interactions between learners and content. In this sense, the chapter also explores the role of academics and media professionals as distance-learning leaders and distance education experts through this transitional stage. The chapter focuses on how distance education experts take part in distance learning environment design and what the main skills for distance education experts as leaders, instructors, and designers in the age of networks are, through the discussions of theoretical approaches.

Identification of a Distance Education Expert

We live in postmodern times and Distance Education is a hybrid assemblage formed by education, communication, and advanced technologic systems. There are many people who work for Distance Education institutions and organizations and there are many participants—the principal ones are naturally students/learners—of Distance Education environments. Thus, we could say that each of them is an expert of Distance Education. On the other hand, Distance Education systems are innovative, modular, popular, and easy to access. Distance Education systems become also inspiration source for conventional learning systems. In this chapter, the authors discuss who is/who could be a Distance Education Expert. Because Distance Education systems need Distance Education Theory to develop themselves, we need sophists to produce theory for Distance Education systems. The proposed expert is a sophist; thus, Plato's Sophist is an ideal model! This chapter aims to show the difficulties of identification and evaluates the innovative character and global capacity of Distance Education.

Well-Recognized Experts in Distance Education

The main purpose of this chapter is to define, analyze, and discuss the qualifications of distance education experts to comprehend the relation between distance education knowledge and exceptional performance in action. The key focuses are the following: (a) Who are the distance education experts in action? (b) What are the main behavioral, social, cognitive, and emotional characteristics of distance education experts? (c) What are the main critical and creative skills of distance education experts? (d) What is the main professional knowledge of distance education experts? and (e) What are the main intellectual and distinguishing characteristics of distance education experts? The overall objectives and mission of this chapter are to carefully define distance education experts based on the current and future trends, needs, and priorities, which affect and modify the development of distance education experts in a post-modem world; we need to learn how to break down the digital walls. Past and future developments must be considered in order to devise a unique, open, and democratic system of distance education through management, communication, pedagogy, technology, and evaluation in the education system. There is an urgent need to define and discuss distance education experts recognized as a reliable resource of techniques and skills.

Understanding of Leadership in Distance Education Management

Today, distance education institutions are different from other traditional organizational structures because they require a virtual structuring. Therefore, the concept and practice of educational leadership is considered as a special area in distance education management process. As a requirement of 21st century, distance education leadership has been seen as a matter or necessity to be developed and to be investigated in the management of distance education. In this chapter, it is aimed to bring the insights of various researchers to define characteristics or qualifications of leadership in distance education, which are or should be different from traditional educational leadership through a literature review relevant to leadership and theories in leadership, educational leadership, and distance education leadership.

The Academic Views from Moscow Universities on the Future of DEE at Russia and Ukraine

Distance higher education has been growing rapidly all over the world and the importance of understanding psycho-pedagogical issues of learners studying in Distance Education (DE) has been growing too. Moscow universities have always had and are crucial to the development of education in the vast area covering the entire territory of the former Soviet Union. In this chapter, an attempt is made to investigate the current studies on components of individual differences like self-actualization, self-regulation, locus of control, and motivation, and their influence in DE setting, academic views, and development visions for Cyber U-learning model on the future of distance education in Russia and Ukraine. The current review of the literature indicates that physical and psychological separation of learners and teachers initiate various psycho-pedagogical issues and special attention must be given to accommodate this in content development, pedagogical, instructional, and cyber ubiquitous learning design of DE.

Integrating Field of Communication to the Distance Education (DE)

This chapter primarily focuses on integrating the field of communication science to the distance education to find out the roles, competences, and responsibilities of the distance education experts in Turkey. Within this context, the chapter aims to develop a new perspective for distance education leadership. The distance education leadership requires skills including designing, evaluating, managing, and sustaining communication processes. In this context, this chapter discusses building a new perspective that provides the integration of the communication field in distance education for the experts, stakeholders, and researchers in distance education leadership.