Number 5 February 1, 2001	A publication of Project Eagle, St. Petersburg College

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Overcoming Organizational Obstacles to
E-Learning Access

"To make the most of learning with the Internet, we will have to address serious issues."
(The Power of the Internet for Learning, Report of the Web-Based Education Commission, 2000)

Administrative Issues

"Alternative Futures for Distance Learning." Article by Murray Turoff, New Jersey Institute of Technology, in Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 1(1), Spring 1998. Offers problems and possible solutions in the areas of commercialization of higher ed, erosion of tenure and other faulty considerations, the economics of e-learning, and the very nature of learning.
"Asking the Really Tough Questions." Article by Barbara Gellman-Danley and Marie J. Fetzer, Monroe Community College ((NY), in Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 1(1), Spring 1998. Identifies potential problem areas that must be considered when setting e-learning policy: academic, fiscal, geographic, governance, labor-management, legal, and student support.
"Barriers to Distance Education As Perceived by Managers and Administrators." Article by Zane L. Berge and Lin Y. Muilenburg in Distance Learning Administration Annual 2000. Results of a survey that identify the strongest and weakest barriers to e-learning.
Course Administration Principles for Distance Learning. University of Massachusetts. A draft document that offers practical solutions for issues like home-campus determination, administrative policies for managing e-course registrations, facilities management, and FTE.
"Higher Education in an Era of Digital Competition." Comprehensive article by Donald E. Hanna, University of Wisconsin, in JALN 2(1), March 1998. Examines the organizational structures of extended traditional universities (e.g., Washington State University), for-profit universities (e.g., University of Phoenix), distance education/technology-based universities (e.g., British Open University), corporate universities (e.g., Disney), university/industry strategic alliances (e.g., Georgetown University/UOL Publishing), degree/certification competency-based organizations (e.g., Regents College, NY), and global multinational universities (e.g., Global U).
"Making Informed Decisions About Staffing and Training." Award-winning paper by Peter Williams, Texas A & M, in Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 3(2), Summer 2000. Results of a study to determine the competencies and roles needed in distance education for use in creating and evaluating staff positions related to e-learning.
"Policy Frameworks for Distance Education." Award-winning paper by five University of Nebraska staff members, in Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 3(2), Summer 2000. Identifies seven areas that need attention in planning policy: academic, governance/administration/fiscal, faculty, legal, student support services, technical, and cultural.
The Power of the Internet for Learning. Report of the Web-Based Education Commission to the President and the Congress of the United States. A December 2000 comprehensive overview for e-learning administrators at all levels. Includes discussion of the challenges/opportunities of access via broadband technologies; improving technological professional development; correcting a paucity of research and development on the subject of e-learning; preparing compelling online content; removing regulatory restrictions to e-learning; insuring privacy/protection (as well as access to those with disabilities); and finding sufficient funding.
Rethinking Academic Management Practices. Article by Emory McLendon and Peter Cronk, University of Southern Queensland, Australia, in Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 2(1), Spring 1999. Looks at the evolution of distance delivery models from correspondence to multi-media, then telelearning, and finally flexible learning. Presents the challenges of and possible solutions to student entry requirements, enrollment, progression, nature of study materials, and approaches to assessment.
Strategic Plan for Distributed Education. Indiana University. Provides recommendations for integrating e-learning into the mainstream of the teaching/learning process and building a robust structure to support it. Includes a downloadable sample CD-ROM.

Cost Issues

Determining the Costs of Online Classes. An interactive Web site developed by Brian M. Morgan of Marshall University (West VA) to help users determine if the development of a particular online course is economically feasible for their institution.
"Evaluating the Benefits and Costs of Mediated Instruction and Distributed Learning." Results of a project at California State University that include BRIDGE, a downloadable simulation model, to compare the cost of expanding a campus based on distributed technology vs. classroom technology.
The Power of the Internet for Learning - Funding for E-Learning. Part of the Web-Based Education Commission's report. Examines the elements of e-learning costs at all levels.
Technology Costing Methodology Project. Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Ongoing project to develop an authoritative e-learning costing methodology.
"Why Do Educators Embrace High-Cost Technologies?" Article by three faculty at the University of Alabama, in Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 2(4), Winter 1999. Defends what may seem additional costs of Web-based instruction as often a redistribution and/or short-term.

Regulatory Issues

Distance Education Legislative Links. A Web site developed by the Instructional Telecommunications Council that covers recent Federal e-learning legislation.
The Power of the Internet for Learning - Removing Regulatory Restrictions to E-Learning. Part of the Web-Based Education Commission's report. Discusses the problems posed by existing statutes and regulations.
Proposed Rules and Regulations Governing Distance Learning. Arkansas Dept. of Education. One state's effort to devise rules and regulations distinct to e-learning.
Survey Report of SREB Regulations As They Apply to Distance Learning. Results of a 1996 survey of the fifteen member states of the Southern Regional Education Board to identify state legislation and policy.

Issues of Access for People with Disabilities

"Access to Educational and Instructional Computer Technologies for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities." Report by Catherine Fichten, Dawson College, Canada, and others as EvNet Working Paper #4, 4/22/2000. Based on three empirical studies, this delineates the barriers students reported, as well as suggestions for solutions.
Academic Program Access for Students with Disabilities. California State University. One institution's official policy to ensure compliance with all Federal and State legislation.
Distance Learning and Students with Disabilities. Conference presentation by Norman Coombs and Richard Banks, EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information). Examines the problems posed by various technologies and ways to transcend them.
Distance Education: Access Guidelines for Students with Disabilities. California Community Colleges. Comprehensive policy related to all forms of equipment used in e-learning. Includes the WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) Guidelines for Accessible Web Site Design.
Educational Technology: Assuring Access for Students with Disabilities. Missouri Assistive Technology. Questions and answers about the Americans with Disabilities Act and ways of accomplishing access.
Frequently Asked Questions About Access for Students with Disabilities. A brief guide prepared by RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) excerpted from a full US Department of Education document.
National Disability and Assistive Technology Resources. Web site maintained by RIATT (Research Institute for Assistive and Training Technologies). Links to national clearinghouses, information providers, resource directories, and documents.

Instructional Issues
BEEP #8, May 2001, will deal entirely with faculty-related concerns in an e-learning environment.

The contents of BEEP were developed under a grant from the U. S. Department of Education (DOE). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the DOE, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.