Policy Issues in Education Settings AB Association

Policy Issues in Education Settings AB

Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). (2010). "A-P-L-U-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning"

Retrieved from: http://www.aplu.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=311

"The A-P-L-U-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning was formed in May 2007 to engage the A-P-L-U Presidents and Chancellors in a discussion about the utility of online education as a means to achieve broader institutional priorities, such as diversity, retention, internationalization and accountability." This resource specifically examines the policy and infrastructural issues dealt with by four-year colleges and universities experimenting with online learning and/or hybrid courses. The longitudinal study is meant to offer comprehensive data about the specific challenges of integrating online learning into traditional college experiences.

C.J. Bonk, The Perfect E-Storm: Emerging Technologies, Enhanced Pedagogy, Enormous Learner Demand, and Erased Budgets (London: The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 2004)

This is a comprehensive publication reviewing the infrastructural challenges, including policy concerns, effecting colleges who integrate e-learning into the traditional post-secondary learning experience. The infrastructural aspect of greatest concern from a policy perspective, according to Bonk, is the tremendous financing challenges facing the expansion of e-learning opportunities, due to the need to have satisfactory technology and faculty/staff training. The grading and integrity policies associated with e-learning in traditional 4-year institutions with hybrid and/or e-learning experiences is also explored.

J. Douglas Toma. "The Law of Higher Education: A Comprehensive Guide to Legal Implications of Administrative Decision Making (review)." The Journal of Higher Education 79.3 (2008): 351-353. Project MUSE. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. .

This is a comprehensive overview of the myriad policy and legal considerations necessary for consideration within higher education. This article functions as a broad policy reference for the framing of the research paper, it provides, "foundational material, reviewing the expanding reach of the law into higher education through their discussion of the governance of higher education, both internal and external."

Levy, S. (2003). Six factors to consider when planning online distance learning programs in higher education. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 4(1). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/%7Edistance/ojdla/spring61/levy61.htm.

One of the policy considerations that this oft-quoted piece of literature regarding the integration of e-learning at brick and mortar institutions is the issue of intellectual property, an issue about which Levy suggest colleges must create sound policy:

"The issues of copyright, fair use, and work for hire are all being reconsidered in this era of online distance learning. Instructors have been accustomed to the idea that they "own" their own work, even if they did not own it legally. Traditionally, when instructors changed colleges, they got to take their lecture notes, too. They could give away their lecture notes freely. Given actual copyright law, though, a part-time instructor can use the same lecture notes when teaching at two different institutions, but a full-time instructor legally may not."

Arbaugh, J.B. 2000. Virtual classroom vs. physical classroom: An exploratory comparison of class discussion patterns and student learning in an asynchronous Internet-based MBA course. Journal of Management Education 24 (2): 207 -- 227.

This study investigates the specific comparative element of the ways in which discussion-based interaction occurs in brick and mortar-based educational environments vs. In online learning settings. The course example used was for a Masters in Business Administration course requirement.

Tierney, William G.. "Remaking the American University: Market Smart and Mission Centered (review)." The Journal of Higher Education 79.3 (2008): 358-360. Project MUSE.. .

This article is useful for the marketing component of the policy consideration paper and provides a marketing-based context for the paper. The section regarding the scarcity of resources, particularly at 4-year state institutions is particularly useful for the financial and technological barriers portion of the paper as outlined.

Diaz, D., and R. Cartnal. 1999. Students' learning styles in two classes: Online distance learning and equivalent on-campus. College Teaching 47(4): 130 -- 135.

In this study, the campus was the common denominator and was eliminated as an extraneous variable. It identified many of the same trends in online learning styles that other studies have identified, such as the limitations of interaction with online learning vs. The flexibility of online learning.

Joy, E., and F. Garcia. 2000. Measuring learning effectiveness: A new look at no-significant-difference findings. Journal of Asynchronous 112

Learnings Network 4 (1) [online], 15 May, 2001. Available online at http://www.aln.org/alnweb/journal/Vol4_issue1/joygarcia.htm

This study performs a retrospective analysis of other comparative studies and examines the underlying philosophical tensions between educational theorists who prefer either classroom or online-based learning systems. The study looks at the elimination of differentiating variables to approach a unified learning theory.

Mupinga, D.M., Nora, R.T. & Yaw, D. (2006). The Learning Styles, Expectations, and Needs of Online Students. College Teaching, 54(1), 185-189.

This is an article which summarizes the challenges and limitations of web-based learning vs. The specific needs and expectations of students who utilize this type of learning. "Online learning environments lend themselves to a less hierarchical approach to instruction, meeting the learning needs of people who do not approach new information in a systematic or linear fashion. Online learning is also most suitable for independent learners. However, the majority of students who take Web classes do so not necessarily because the format suits their learning styles, but because they are attracted by the convenience, availability"

Navarro, P., and J. Shoemaker. 1999. Economics in cyberspace: A comparison study. Discussion paper. University of California: Irvine Graduate

School of Management, 33.

This paper examines the cost-efficacy of online learning vs. classroom learning. While online learning has been thought to be much less expensive in the past, the technological costs of such a system are significant and often under-reported cost factor that is necessary for such a system's success.

Neuhauser, C. (2002). Learning Style and Effectiveness of Online and Face-to-Face Instruction. American Journal of Distance Education, 16(2), 99-113.

This paper examines the retention of information and the depth of knowledge gained by students in online vs. classroom settings. Rather than concluding that one is 'better' than the other, the article focuses on flexibility vs. limitations of each style of learning.

Trinkle, D.A. 1999, 6 August. Distance education: A means to an end, no more, no less. The Chronicle of Higher Education, A60.

This paper argues for the importance of the educational institution to consider distance education as a supplemental aspect of the educational infrastructure rather than a replacement for traditional brick and mortar learning. The paper reasons that the supplemental aspects of distance learning are significant but should not be utilized to the exclusion of more traditional and proven learning methods.

Paper Outline:

1. Historical/social context of integration of hybrid and/or online learning into traditional brick and mortar 4-year colleges.

2. Overview of policy and legal considerations in institutions of higher learning, meant to acquaint the reader with the general domain of governance issues central to 4-year post-secondary institutions.

a. Identification of key policy areas, such as

i. intellectual property law,

ii. staff and student training, iii. integrity policy adaptation,

iv. financing,

v. quality assurance and vi. accreditation.

3. Educational trends in classroom and online learning at 4-year colleges and universities.

a. A review of the study literature pertaining to challenges and successes of each model within the brick and mortal setting.