Beyond the Text: Contemporary Writing on Distance Education
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 338 921 CE 059 746 AUTHOR Evans, Terry; King, Bruce TITLE Beyond the Text: Contemporary Writing on Distance Education. INSTITUTION Deakin Univ., Victoria (Australia). REPORT NO ISBN-0-949823-19-8 PUB DATE 91 NOTE 261p. AVAILABLE FROM Deakin University Press, Geelong, Victoria 3217, Australia. PUB TYPE Books (010) -- Collected Works - General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Access to Education; Developed Nations; *Developing Nations; *Disabilities; *Distance Education; Economic Development; Educational Philosophy; Educational Practices; *Educational Technology; Epistemology; Females; Foreign Countries; *Independent Study; Males; Postsecondary Education; Sex Bias; Sex Fairness IDENTIFIERS Australia; Ghana ABSTRACT Based on materials originally prepared for a course being developed at an Australian university, this book examines critical issues in distance education and open learning. The book is organized in five parts. The first part locates distance education in relation to education and social science and provides a general introduction and orientation. The other four parts provide a broad critical social scientific approach, each with an introduction by one of the editors and two contributors' chapters. The following articles are included: "An Epistemological Orientation to Critical Reflection in Distance Education" (Terry Evans); "Disability and Distance Education in Australia" (Christopher Newell, Judy Walker); "Gender Issues in Distance Education--A Feminist Perspective" (Margaret Grace); "On the Possibthty of Dialogue in Distance Education: A Dialogue" (Helen Modra); "Teaching Texts wid Independent Learning" (Daryl Nation); "Distance Education in a Developing Context: Ghana" (Kwasi Ansu-Kveremeh); "Distance Education and the Developing World: Colonisation, C...:llaporation and Control" (Pichard Guy); "Critical Essay on Technology in Distance Education" (Michael Campion); "Towards a Critical Educational Technology in Distance Education" (David Harris); and "Endnote: Beyond the Text" (Terry Evans, Bruce King). (387 references) (KC) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** us DEPARTMENT OfEDUCATION °Mc* ofEducatiooal Research and improvement "PERMISSION TO REPROCUCETHIS MATERIAL BEEN ED ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONIN OTHER THANPAPER COPY HAS CENTER (ERIC) BY This document has beenreproduced as GRANTED received fiom tha Per Son of Orti limitation Originating it 0 Minor changes have beenmade to improve r4-- reproduction Qualify ,v\.. al"( Points of view or opinions stated on thisdocit represent official IBESOURCEI merit do not neCituanly THE EDUCATIONAL OERI position or policy TO (ERIC)" 1 I INFORMATION CENTER CtA: 41YD ;=I raTml BEST COPYAVAILABLE Beyond the Text: Contemporary Writing on Distance Education Published by Deakin University Press, Geelong, Victoria, Australia 3217 © Deakin University Press 1991 Printed by Deakin University Printery National Library of Aus alia Cataloguing-in-publicatk,n data Beyond the text. Bibliography Includes index. ISBN 0 949823 19 8. 1. Distance education. I Evans, Terry D. (Terry Denis). II King, Bruce, 1945 378.03 CONTENTS Part 1 Introduction and Overview Chapter 1 Introduction, by Terry Evans and Bruce King 3 Chapter 2 An epistemological orientation to critical reflection in distance education, by Terry Evans 7 Pnt 2: Access and Equity in Distance education Introductior. by Bruce King 21 Chapter 3 Disability and distance education in Australia, by Christopher Newell and Judi Walker 27 Chapter 4 Gender issues in distance education, by Margaret Grace 56 Part 3: Dialogue and independence in Distance Education Introduction, by Bruce King 77 Chapter 5 On the possibility of dialogue in distance education, by Helen Modra 83 Chapter 6 Teaching texts and independent learning, by Daryl Nation 101 4 Part 4: Distance Education in Developing Nations Introduction, by Terry Evans 133 Chapter 7 Distance education in a developing context: Ghana,by Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh 137 Chapter 8 Distance education and the developing world,by Richard Guy 152 Part 5: Technology in Distance Education Introduction, by Terry Evans 179 Chapter 9 Critical essay on technology in distanceeducation', by Michael Campion 183 Chapter 10 Towards a cri ical technology', by DavidHarris 204 Endnote: Beyond the Text By TerryEvans and Bruce King 227 Bibliography 231 Index 257 PART ONE INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION f ; CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TERRY EVANS AND BRUCEKING have workedtogether on thecollaborative Over the past two years we Education and Graduate development of a newMaster of Distance Education program atDeakin University andthe Diploma of Distance We were the peoplewho University of SouthAustralia respectively. collaboration and wehave played an integralpart initially established the part of our and operation eversince. An important in its management of the units - CriticalIssues in work has been todevelop and teach one within the new program.We used severalconsultants Distance Education in the form of severalpieces of to help developthe materials which were in distance education.Once critical writing andaudio-discussion on issues had requests frompeople to purchase the the course was produced we bound into five books materials but, mainlybecause the materials were reproductions of otherpublished material, thefeasibility which included Anne Howells was of selling the materials toindividuals was problematic. worked on the courseduring her our editor atDeakin University who Open University -diolch am y pleser ogael exchange from the UK collection which gweithio gyda chi. Annesuggested that we edit a versions of the originalwriting. We asked eachof contained the revised and, with a lot of the consultants if they wereinterested in such a project the contributors, this text help from Anne and someswift revisions by was created. takes us beyond someof Our intention was toproduce a text which distance education. Itseemed the established practicesand ideas about and practices ofdistance education needed that the structures, processes people who were identifying and subjecting tocritical scrutiny by issues of distanceeducation. Identifying the applying forms of critique on education is as easy as it structures, processes andpractices of distance there are severalcompeting understandingsof what appears becaise its close companion open constitutes distanceeducation and, especially 19890. Once understandingsof distance education learning (see Rumble they take on a learning are formed they canbe difficult to shake; or open strongly that it takes paradigmatic quality whichshapes our thinking so significant contradictoryexperiences to shift them. 3 7 INTRODUCTION ANDORIINTATION The well-knownphilosopher of science, that the physical Thomas Kuhn, hasargued and natural scienceshave not been development ofrational thought a smooth process of series of 'scientific and research, butrather have beena revolutions', wherebyeach prevailingparadigm (or dominant way ofthinking) is usurpedby another research findings as a result of significant not fitting theprevailing paradigm sense, despite their (Kuhn 1970). Inthis more limitedscope, history and nature, distanceeducation and pre-paradigmatic open learning areno different from sciences; prevailingtheories and practices of distanceeducation and learning can becomefirmly embedded open a storm of contradictory as the way to think andwork until pressures uproots them. In the 1990s, distance education andopen learning internationally, , in Australia and are facing a series ofchallenges which shift in theway the field is theorised may lead to a major and practised,or it may reinforce the prevailing orthodoxies.This book presents some of thesedebates and challenges andshows that thearray of practices, institutions do not structures and rest easily togetherin a cosy nest of In fact, thereappear to be a great distance education. many difficulties toovercome in contemporary distanceeducation and book help the we hope that the debatesin this reader to extendtheir own thinking to st;ggest that in the area. Thisis not distance educationis alone in this distance education, regard. Generally, and educationmore generally, contain contradictions and and reflect the contestations whichare the essence of societies. Therefore,the practices, contemporary education are structures and institutionsof distance not mere unproblematiceducational needs, but ratherthey are locales responses to societal of human andpolitical interaction contest. Matters ofpower and ideology and loom largeas governments, bureaucracies andindividuals wrestle to establish theirinterests in distance education.Therefore,we can view distance struggle between education asa conflicting andcompeting interestsout of which are developed andtaught, students courses consumed, passed and failed,resources careers erected andshattered, etc. The struggleat work in distance fights and skirmishes education is notone of continuous much of this ismasked or mediated structures in whichpractices are located through the nevertheless a real and take place but it is presence in the everydaylife of the people distance education:teachers, students, involved in designers, editorsetc. In Australia, administrators,educational distance highereducation is undergoing a seriesof changesbrought about government's through