Distance Learning in Higher Education (review)

Based on the latest enrollment figures in online education, the “build it and they will come” mantra of the 1990s was a decade too early. As documented by Alfred Rovai, Michael Ponton, and Jason Baker in Distance Learning in Higher Education, the National Center for Educational Statistics reports that 32% of U.S. adults who participated in educational activities in 2004–2005 did so through distance education (p. 1). According to the most recent study by the Sloan Consortium, in fall 2007 approximately 3.94 million U.S. students enrolled in at least one online course, reflecting a jump of 12.9% over the previous year and an increase of 758,000 students since 2005 (Allen & Seaman, 2008).

This growth may be attributed to an array of factors, including a struggling economy, a stagnating job market, mainstream use of technology resources, and student demand for a more affordable, convenient alternative to the traditional classroom-based course. Many colleges and universities, recognizing that online education programs are becoming a more significant element of their missions, are faced with the challenges and growing pains of such expansion: how to respond to constant technological changes, how to engage and support faculty, and how to navigate an increasingly competitive distance education environment.

While the title of this volume implies a broad definition of distance learning, the authors make clear that the book’s area of concentration is online technologies, an appropriate focus given the current market demands. Rovai, Ponton, and Baker identify a polarization in the current body of literature between theory and practice, which they aim to bridge by providing a practical guide that helps readers design, implement, and evaluate online education programs with an understanding of their theoretical underpinnings. While the authors largely succeed in this goal, in certain sections the organization feels disjointed and the analyses of relevant research sometimes require clearer focus as well as more explicit connections to practice. The book works best when it assumes the role of resource manual, providing background, key concepts, and useful counsel for each chapter topic.

Organized into 11 chapters, Distance Learning in Higher Education addresses distance learning concepts, effects of gender and culture on the virtual learning environment, strategic planning, program and course design, assessment of student learning, online discussions, program evaluation, institution and program accreditation, and course evaluation.

In the opening chapter, the authors address core concepts of distance learning, which, due to the concepts’ complexity and explication in other works, may be only highlighted by “cursory connections” to online learning in this chapter, with “substantive implications of greater complexity . . . in later chapters” (p. 3). But the result is an introduction to online education that often jumps from concept to concept (constructivism to adult teaching/learning to computer-mediated communication to sense of community) without a logical flow between ideas or a clear understanding of their relevance to distance education.

Chapters 2 and 3 focus on gender and culture, respectively, citing these two topics as factors that frequently are not considered in the design of online learning programs, particularly as they relate to learning-style and communication preferences. For each topic, the authors provide curricular, teaching, and institutional strategies for addressing challenges and creating effective learning environments.

The next three chapters address strategic planning, program and course design, and student learning assessment. These chapters offer guidance for higher education administrators who seek to formulate a plan, design an appropriate model, and conduct valid and appropriate assessment to evaluate success. In the strategic planning chapter, the authors include a brief primer on identifying the program need, summarizing a review of a needs assessment model, and proposing a three-pronged planning process (using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats [SWOT] analysis).

The most valuable recommendations regarding program and course design address online learning technologies and instructional design approaches. For the latter, the authors stress the need for broad-based institutional support and adequate resources to pursue a systems design model...