THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF ONLINE LEARNING

Since we wrote the first edition, online distance learning has become commonplace. The explosive growth of the Internet has contributed to the increasing popularity of this type of learning, along with a desire to reach students at a distance to increase enrollments and to provide a type of education that is in demand by students. The National Center for Educational Statistics (2003) reports that in 2000-2001, 52 percent of institutions that had undergraduate programs offered credit-granting distance education courses at the undergraduate level, and college-level, credit-granting distance education courses were offered at the graduate/first-professional level by 52 percent of institutions that had graduate/first-professional programs. Public two-year institutions had the largest number of enrollments in distance education offerings in 2000-2001, a trend that has continued since then. These statistics show that the original belief that online distance education was only for nontraditional, adult students has not held up over time. Granted, many nontraditional students are enrolled in two-year community college programs, but so are students right out of high school, who are also taking classes online.

Course offerings for online courses now span all disciplines. In the first edition of this book, we presented a sample of courses then being offered to illustrate that online learning was indeed growing. We smile now to think about how impressed we were then with an assortment of courses that included disciplines such as English, business, and computer science. Today, we see almost everything being offered online, from math and science classes to art and even dance. The emergence of new technologies has made almost anything possible—a trend that will continue into the future.

ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITIES REVISITED

In this book we will be revisiting the concept of community building in online distance education, along with its inherent benefits, problems, and concerns. Online learning now takes more than one form, including the use of technology to enhance a face-to-face class, a hybrid class that combines both face-to-face meetings and online work, and fully online courses. Many of our colleagues have postulated that the technology enhancement of face-to-face courses has effectively begun to blur the distinctions between online and face-to-face classes. The use of synchronous media and virtual classrooms has grown and is affecting how we view community. Although most of our discussion relates to the use of asynchronous technologies for online discussion, we also discuss the use of synchronous media and its role in community building. Community building as the means by which online education is delivered pervades all forms of online learning and all forms of technology and needs to be considered regardless of how the course is delivered.

The shift to online distance learning continues to pose enormous challenges to instructors and their institutions. Some faculty members still believe that the online classroom is no different from the traditional one—that the approaches that work face-to-face will work when learners are separated from them and from each other by time and distance. Others feel that the online classroom is simply not as robust or rigorous and not worthy of their consideration, a belief that has caused those of us who teach online to overcompensate and create classes so full of content and activities that sometimes our students simply cannot keep up. When learning moves out of the classroom and into the online arena, we must pay attention to many issues that we take for granted in the face-to-face classroom. We need not apologize for online classes; when done well, they are every bit as rigorous as face-to-face education. But we do need to pay attention to the differences inherent in this form of teaching in order to develop high-quality courses that are every bit as rigorous as their face-to-face counterparts and perhaps even more so.

Some examples of difference that are brought to our attention every day by the faculty we train to do online work derive from questions such as, How do we know when a student is engaged with the subject matter? How do we account for attendance and participation? How do we deal with students who are not participating? How can we recognize and deal with disagreement and conflict? How do we effectively use the discussion board? What has happened to the lecture? Is it really necessary to focus on community building at the start of a course? Educators and trainers who are already familiar with online education will find these issues still relevant because they relate to the ways in which the instructor establishes his or her own presence online and assists students in developing theirs, as well as how content is delivered.

Our early work in online learning helped create, for us, the beginnings of a model for effective online distance education. This model includes deliberate attempts to build community as a means of promoting collaborative learning. Embedded within community building are the active creation of knowledge and meaning, collaborative activities, opportunities for reflection, and the purposeful empowerment of participants to become experts at their own learning. We have concluded through our work that the construction of a learning community, with the instructor participating as an equal member, is the key to a successful outcome and is the vehicle through which online education is best delivered. What is most effective about our approach is its simplicity and the fact that it does not depend on any one form of technology. It is about using our best practices as educators and applying them in a completely different environment. Tried and true techniques used face-to-face in the classroom often do not work when the classroom is virtual.

Community building online and many other aspects of online learning have been and are currently under study in many venues. In fact, a large body of literature on these topics has appeared since the first edition of this book was released in 1999. We incorporate some of the recent thinking of our colleagues as well as our own to bring what we know about the online learning community into the present day.

This book also emerges out of our own experience as online faculty. We often tell our audiences when we speak and train that we have made every mistake possible in our online teaching, and those mistakes have been our teachers. They have helped us continue to develop and refine our approach to online teaching, as well as the model we use to develop and teach our classes. How to develop online learning communities has been the focus of our work since we delivered our first online course in 1993. More and more often, we are asked to consult to educational institutions where distance learning programs have been implemented but have not had successful outcomes or are not satisfactory to those involved, or with institutions that have begun to use online learning but wish to make their courses more interactive and to include a learning-community approach. Many institutions are lured by attractive software packages or by the prospect of reducing costs and increasing their student population through the use of distance education. These can certainly be benefits. However, focusing on these elements and ignoring what it takes to learn in this environment can be expensive mistakes.

In this book we share our approach—as well as our successes and our difficulties—with our colleagues who wish to deliver online learning more effectively. The book is designed to be useful to anyone engaged in the process of online work, be they academics, group facilitators, or those working in networked organizations or delivering corporate training programs online. It is written both for faculty who have been teaching online and wish to discover new ideas to incorporate into their practice and for those who are embarking on this journey. It will help new faculty make the transition from the face-to-face classroom to the virtual classroom and more fully understand the new approaches and skills they will need if they are to be successful. It will also help veteran faculty who have been teaching online to improve their practice by focusing on community-building skills to enhance the delivery of their classes. Others who will find the book useful are department chairs and deans responsible for the development and delivery of online offerings, those responsible for faculty and instructional development, and instructional designers who are working with all of those groups in order to make the transition to online teaching work.

This book is not about technology per se. Neither is it about the use of computer-assisted instruction, wherein a student interacts only with a software package installed on a computer, an approach often used in corporate training settings. We are concerned with software and hardware only as vehicles in the creation of an environment that is conducive to learning. The process of teaching and learning through the creation of an online community is our concern. We have gleaned from our experience a number of techniques and approaches that work well in online courses, which we now apply in every class we teach. We present these techniques, along with examples and questions to consider, to help with their implementation. Because we teach in the social sciences, our own examples and cases emerge from that discipline. However, we are including examples provided by our colleagues who teach in the sciences, computer science, mathematics, and humanities to help illustrate our approach in those disciplines as well. We also encourage readers from disciplines other than the behavioral sciences to seek out colleagues across the country who are teaching classes online. Instructors teaching online frequently make their materials available on the Internet, welcoming comments and questions about their courses and experiences. At the end of the book, we provide some resources that instructors can use to assist them in finding some of these courses and to assist them in developing their own courses.

As academic institutions continue to move toward the use of online media to offer courses and programs, as well as to develop fully virtual universities, instructors must be trained and supported. We cannot assume that all faculty, regardless of how well they perform in the classroom, will be able to make this transition easily, just as we cannot assume that all students will fare well. This book will make a significant contribution to the discussions and struggles that frame the ongoing transition to and delivery of online courses. We offer suggestions that can help pave the way to and enhance well-planned and effective online distance learning.

ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK

As in the first edition, the book is divided into two parts. Part One lays the foundation for the learning-community approach to online learning. Chapter One begins to explore the issues involved in teaching and learning when learning leaves the classroom and moves into the online environment. It also introduces our framework for online teaching. Chapter Two looks at the importance of building community in the online environment. Extensive material on the role of social presence in forming and maintaining community has been added to this chapter. In addition, we include discussion of the link between social presence, the achievement of learning outcomes, and student satisfaction with the online learning process. The chapter differentiates for the reader a traditional model of pedagogy from a model that will lead to success in the online classroom. Chapter Three has been retitled and reorganized. It looks at the need to recontextualize what we commonly refer to as community and explores in more detail the issues that we have discovered to be key and that need attention in the online classroom. These key issues have emerged from our teaching and consulting work; consequently, we include dialogue from our classes to illustrate each issue. Chapters Four and Five tackle some of the more concrete issues of time, group size, cost, security, and technology as they pertain to online teaching. The discussions about time have been updated, and the material on cost and security are new to this edition. Chapter Six discusses the roles that faculty and students take in the development of the online learning community, as well as presenting some learning theory that supports their roles online.

Part Two presents a practical guide to creating an online learning community that will lead to an effective teaching and learning experience. Chapters Seven through Ten provide practical applications and include discussion of the importance of collaboration and the transformative learning process that occurs online. More specifically, Chapter Seven offers suggestions for creating an appropriate syllabus, setting objectives and learning outcomes, negotiating guidelines, setting up the course site online, gaining participation and student buy-in for the process, and accounting for presence in the online classroom. Some updated examples have been used in this revised chapter to illustrate the application of the community concept to courses outside of the social and behavioral sciences and to better apply these concepts to today’s online classroom environment. Chapter Eight describes practical techniques for stimulating collaborative learning among participants. It presents ways to promote and facilitate relationship building and personal process, thus further supporting community development and the establishment of social presence. Chapter Nine explores a critical component of online learning—transformative learning, which is learning about how we learn through the use of technology, learning about the technology itself, and, most important, learning about ourselves through the online learning process. The chapter shows how to incorporate this process stream into the context of the online course. Chapter Ten focuses on an important concern of most educators—how to assess and evaluate results. This chapter discusses student assessment, appropriate assignments for assessment purposes, as well as the importance of aligning assignments, expectations, and assessment. Finally, the chapter discusses course and program evaluation. To close the book, Chapter Eleven summarizes and reviews the keys to successful online learning. In addition, it discusses the ramifications of this work for teacher training and some recent applications of the community concept to the larger academic institution. The case examples, vignettes, and questions for consideration in all of the chapters will help readers bring the material alive and apply it successfully in their own online classes.

Included throughout the book are student posts to various types of discussions in online courses. Some of them are from our original work and some are newer posts from our online classes. It amazes us that despite the number of online courses we have taught and the number of students we have worked with, their reflections regarding online learning are so similar. Therefore, if a student quote from the original work captures the essence of what we hope to illustrate, we have left it in place. As in the past, we have deliberately left the quotes untouched. Except for paring them down to manageable size and updating the content a bit, we have not edited them for grammar and have, as usual, asked the publisher to refrain from doing so. We have found in our experience of online teaching that commentary on or editing of student posts creates a type of performance anxiety that results in reduced participation. Just as most instructors would not think to correct the grammar of a student who is verbally contributing in a face-to-face class, we would not correct the spelling or grammar in a post, as this is the equivalent of speaking in class. Because an instructor who is venturing online needs to be prepared to receive unedited posts from students, we have deliberately chosen to leave the ones we present as they are. The increasing amount of time that our students spend online has brought with it a new language of online terminology. Although this is not appropriate terminology to be included in course papers or projects, it does make an appearance in discussion postings and instructors need to be prepared for their response to it. This shift in thinking represents but one of the numerous shifts instructors need to make as they enter the online classroom.

Online education is dynamic and ever-changing. Even though we have been at this for a while, we believe that online education is yet in its infancy, with far more change to come in the not-so-distant future. In this updated edition, we have perhaps captured and discussed the issues as they exist today. However, advances in technology and society will continue to bring new challenges to an evolving field. Even so, this book should help instructors face today’s challenges more effectively.

May 2007

Rena M. Palloff
Alameda, California
Keith Prat
Pineville, Missouri

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A book such as this, which describes a collaborative learning process, could not have been completed in isolation. We wish to acknowledge a number of people who contributed to the development of our work. We continue to be deeply grateful to Fielding Graduate University—its faculty, staff, and students—for starting us on this path and continuing to support us along the way. Not only did we begin our collaboration at Fielding but we were also encouraged to begin our research into this new territory while the university worked to gain a more solid footing in online and distance learning. Thanks to Judy Kuipers, president of Fielding, Anna DiStefano, provost, and Charles McClintock, dean of the School of Human and Organizational Development. Thanks especially to Judy Witt, dean of the School of Educational Leadership and Change, who championed our idea for a certification program in online teaching entitled “Teaching in the Virtual Classroom.” Thanks, Judy, for helping us find our way home.

We wish, once again, to acknowledge the “pioneers”—the Elcomm group—who were the first contributors to our research in the area of building community online. We continue to have contact with many of them; they have become our lifelong friends. We also continue to be grateful to our wonderful students for their enthusiastic participation in our online classes, their willingness to allow us to use some of their posts in our books, and mostly for teaching us more than we could ever hope to teach them. We also thank our faculty colleagues with whom we have interacted both online and in training programs and conferences—you are our inspiration! We are extremely grateful to David Brightman of Jossey-Bass, who is an ardent supporter and good friend. Thank you, David, for taking on this project in the first place, for believing in us, and encouraging us to update and revise this work. Thanks as well to David’s editorial assistant, Erin Null, for her assistance and support and for helping us find all those pesky old files.

Finally, but definitely far from least, we wish to acknowledge and express our gratitude and love for Gary Krauss and Dianne Pratt, as well as the rest of both of our families. Thanks to all of you for putting up with both of us. We could not have done this without you.

THE AUTHORS

Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt are managing partners in Crossroads Consulting Group. Since 1994 they have collaboratively conducted pioneering research, consultation, and training in the emerging areas of online group facilitation, face-to-face and online community building, program planning and development of distance learning programs, faculty development and coaching for online teaching, and planning, management, and supervision of online academic programs. In conjunction with Fielding Graduate University, they developed, direct, and are core faculty in the Teaching in the Virtual Classroom academic certificate program designed to assist faculty in becoming effective online facilitators and course developers.

Rena Palloff has consulted extensively in health care, academic settings, and addiction treatment for well over twenty years. She is faculty in the masters’ degree program in Organizational Management and Development (OMD) at Fielding Graduate University, as well as in the School of Educational Leadership and Change. She is also adjunct faculty at Capella University in the School of Human Services. In addition, she has taught classes on organizational behavior and management and leadership on an adjunct basis for the International Studies Program at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas, and in various sites throughout the Pacific Rim, and was core faculty in Holistic Studies at John F. Kennedy University.

Dr. Palloff received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She holds a master’s degree in organizational development and a Ph.D. in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University.

Keith Pratt began his government career as a computer systems technician with the U.S. Air Force in 1967. He served in various positions, including supervisor of computer systems maintenance, chief of the Logistics Support Branch, chief of the Telecommunications Branch, and superintendent of the Secure Telecommunications Branch. After leaving the air force, Dr. Pratt held positions as registrar and faculty (Charter College), director (Chapman College), and trainer and consultant (The Growth Company). As an adjunct faculty member at Wayland Baptist University and at the University of Alaska, Dr. Pratt taught courses in communications, business, management, organizational theories, and computer technology. He was assistant professor in the International Studies Program and chair of the Management Information Systems Program, main campus and overseas, at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas, and served as associate dean of distance learning at Northwest Arkansas Community College. He currently teaches online at Fielding Graduate University, Wayland Baptist University, Northcentral University, and Baker University.

Dr. Pratt graduated from Wayland Baptist University with a dual degree in business administration and computer systems technology. He has an M.S. in human resource management (with honors) from Chapman University, a master’s degree in organizational development, a Ph.D. in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University, and an honorary doctorate of science from Moscow State University.

PART ONE

The Learning Community in Online Learning

chapter ONE

When Teaching and Learning Leave the Classroom

In the last ten years, significant change has occurred in online learning. Once viewed as a less rigorous, softer, easier way to complete a course or degree, faculty a now realize that the time involved in the development and delivery of a high-quality online course is substantial, and students are now realizing that completing courses and degree programs online is hard work. There is no longer a need to spend time defining what online distance learning is or is not; it is now commonplace in higher education and is gaining popularity in the K-12 arena as well. Ten years ago, we were trying to decide what constituted distance learning and asked questions such as, “If the class meets face-to-face two or three times during the term, is that a distance learning course?” Today we know that distance learning takes several forms, including fully online courses, hybrid or blended courses that contain some face-to-face contact time in combination with online delivery, and technology-enhanced courses, which meet predominantly face-to-face but incorporate elements of technology into the course. In addition, academic institutions are experimenting with time schedules that depart from the traditional semester or quarter in order to more effectively deliver online classes.

It is not unusual now to see six-week intensive courses or courses with flexible start and end dates. If we examine all the ways in which distance learning is occurring now, it is possible to state that almost every course delivered via some form of technology is a distance learning course. There is one important element, however, that sets online distance learning apart from the traditional classroom setting: Key to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions. In other words, the formation of a learning community through which knowledge is imparted and meaning is co-created sets the stage for successful learning outcomes.

Ten years ago, the notion of building community online was seen as “fluff ” or just one more thing an instructor might pay attention to in the delivery of an online course. However, much research has been conducted in recent years regarding the importance of community in an online course and in online teaching in general (Garrison, n.d.; Rovai, 2002; Rovai and Jordan, 2004; Shea, Swan, and Pickett, 2004; Wenger, 1999) and, further, into the concept of social presence, defined as the ability to portray oneself as a “real” person in the online environment (Gunawardena and Zittle, 1997; Picciano, 2002; Richardson and Swan, 2003; Rovai and Barnum, 2003). The findings of these research studies and others have supported our notion that the key to successful online learning is the formation of an effective learning community as the vehicle through which learning occurs online. Adams and Sperling (2003) note that the community building process embedded in online courses has helped transform teaching and learning in higher education. Some of the changes they describe for students include greater availability and accessibility of information, engagement of different learning styles, and promotion of increased responsibility for teaching and learning. The changes faculty are experiencing include greater accessibility to and availability of information but also encompass the development of new skill sets for teaching and the need to rethink pedagogy, redefine learning objectives, reevaluate assessment, and redefine faculty work roles and culture.

We also see these changes in a number of college classrooms today, not just in online classrooms. And we continue to learn more about how people learn. Carol Twigg (1994b) indicated that many students are concrete-active learners, that is, they learn best from concrete experiences that engage their senses. Their best learning experiences begin with practice and end with theory (Twigg, 1994b). Many instructors, seeking to improve their practice and the learning outcomes for their students, have incorporated active learning techniques such as working collaboratively on assignments, participating in small-group discussions and projects, reading and responding to case studies, role playing, and using simulations.

These practices transfer well into the online classroom. However, instructors need to be diligent and deliberate in ensuring their success. When learners cannot see or even talk to each other, the use of collaborative assignments becomes more challenging but far from impossible. (We offer suggestions for implementing collaborative learning techniques in the online classroom in Chapter Eight.)

Learning in the distance education environment cannot be passive. If students do not enter into the online classroom—do not post a contribution to the discussion—the instructor has almost no way of knowing whether they have been there. So students are not only responsible for logging on but they must also contribute to the learning process by posting their thoughts and ideas to the online discussion. Learning is an active process in which both the instructor and the learners must participate if it is to be successful. In the process, a web of learning is created. In other words, a network of interactions between the instructor and the other participants is formed, through which the process of knowledge acquisition is collaboratively created. (See Chapters Eight and Nine for a discussion of collaborative learning and the transformative nature of the learning process.)

Outcomes of this process, then, should not be measured by the number of facts memorized and the amount of subject matter regurgitated but by the depth of knowledge and the number of skills gained. Evidence of critical thinking and of knowledge acquired are the desired learning outcomes. Consequently, cheating on exams should not be a major concern in an effective online environment because knowledge is acquired collaboratively through the development of a learning community. (The assessment of student performance in this environment is discussed in Chapter Ten.)

Institutions entering the distance learning arena must be prepared to tackle these issues and to develop new approaches and new skills in order to create an empowering learning process, for the creation of empowered learners is yet another desired outcome of online distance education. Successful online teaching is a process of taking our very best practices in the classroom and bringing them into a new, and, for some faculty, untried, arena. In this new arena, however, the practices may not look exactly the same.

Take, for example, a recent discussion with a professor in a small college where a distance delivery model was being implemented for a master’s degree program. A software program was chosen and a consultant hired to install it on the college’s server. There it sat for almost a year until the college decided to begin using it more extensively. Because of our expertise in faculty training and development for the delivery of distance education programs, we were consulted about the best way to improve a program that was not working very well. The professor informed us that the software had been used by a couple of instructors for a couple of courses. However, with further inquiry, we discovered that a course syllabus had never been posted online in any of these courses; nobody knew that an extensive faculty handbook for course development and delivery was embedded in the software. All they had been doing was using this potentially powerful software package as an e-mail system rather than for creating a distance learning environment. Was distance education and learning really happening here? No, of course not. So what does it take to make the transition from the classroom to the online arena successfully? What are the differences we face in this environment? And finally, what issues do we need to be concerned with? We answer the last question in the next section through a discussion of the issues and concerns related to online education. The answers to the other questions follow in subsequent chapters.

ONLINE ISSUES AND CONCERNS

When instructors begin to use technology in education, they experience a whole new set of physical, emotional, and psychological issues along with the educational issues. Many of these issues relate to the development of social presence. As we struggle to define ourselves online, we may experience emotions and try out behaviors that have not been part of our repertoire. The new issues also include the physical problems that can be experienced as the technology is used extensively, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, back problems, headaches, and so forth. Psychologically, students and faculty can become addicted to the technology. In fact, there are now centers devoted to the study and treatment of Internet addiction. Students and faculty can begin to fantasize and experience personality shifts while online, and their minds can drift. They may have a difficult time setting reasonable boundaries and limits around the amount of time they spend online. We have not had to address these issues in the traditional classroom, but we must do so as we teach online because they affect the ways learners interact with each other and with course material. In the traditional classroom, if a student experiences mind drift it may not be noticeable to the instructor or to the other students in the class. The student may be physically present but psychologically absent. In the virtual classroom, however, if a student drifts away, that absence is noticeable and may have a profound impact on the group.

Online learning has brought a whole new set of issues and problems into academics; as a result, instructors and their institutions have had to become more flexible and learn to deal with these problems. Professors, just like their students, need the ability to deal with a virtual world in which, for the most part, they cannot see, hear, or touch the people with whom they are communicating. Participants are likely to adopt a new persona, shifting into areas of their personalities they may not have previously explored. For example, an instructor, like a student, who suffers from performance anxiety in the face-to-face classroom may be more comfortable online and more active in responding to students. A colleague of ours who has wanted to teach for several years and who feels that he has a contribution to make is very nervous about entering a classroom and facing a group of students. He has been offered several opportunities to teach because of the expertise he would bring to a learning situation, but he has resisted. When offered an opportunity to teach online, however, he accepted readily, acknowledging that the relative anonymity of the medium feels more comfortable for him. The idea of being able to facilitate a discussion from the comfort of his home office was very appealing to him, whereas doing the same thing face-to-face was intimidating. However, the opposite may also be true: an instructor who does well face-to-face may not be successful online. We were told the story of an accounting professor who was extremely personable in his face-to-face classes. To assist students in memorizing difficult concepts, he would compose songs and play them in class, accompanying himself on his guitar. He was approached to teach online but resisted strenuously because he did not feel he could adequately transfer his musical approach to accounting to the online environment, even with the use of attached audio files. His first attempt at online teaching was not well-received by students and he decided not to continue with online teaching. Just as all instructors are not successful in the classroom setting, not all will be successful online. It takes a unique individual with a unique set of talents to be successful in the traditional classroom; the same is true for the online classroom. The ability to do both is a valuable asset in today’s academic institutions.

STUDENTS ONLINE

Some attributes make students successful online when they are not in the face-to-face classroom. For example, what about the introverted student? Will such a student, who does not participate in the face-to-face class, blossom in the virtual classroom? Research conducted by one of us indicates that an introverted person will probably become more successful online, given the absence of social pressures that exist in face-to-face situations. Conversely, extroverted people may have more difficulty establishing their presence in an online environment, something that is easier for them to do face-to-face (Pratt, 1996).

The Illinois Online Network (2006) describes the characteristics of successful students in distance education programs:

• Open-minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as part of the learning process

• Able to communicate through writing

• Self-motivated and self-disciplined

• Willing to “speak up” if problems arise

• Able and willing to commit four to fifteen hours per week per course

• Able to meet the minimum requirements for the program (that is, this is not an easier way to meet degree requirements)

• Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process

• Have access to a computer and a modem (and, we add, at least some minimal ability to use them)

• Able to think ideas through before responding

• Feel that high-quality learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom (para. 2)

Nipper (1989) described the successful learner in an online environment as a “noisy learner,” one who is active and creative in the learning process. This and other, similar references led many to believe that distance education is best applied to and seen as most successful in the arena of adult education. However, more high schools, colleges, and universities are using this delivery method with all groups of students regardless of age or level of educational experience. Should we expect that all students will succeed in this environment? Although a student who is unsuccessful in the face-to-face classroom may do well online, it is unrealistic to expect that all students will do well. When a student does not perform well, as evidenced by lack of participation, he or she should be given the option of returning to the face-to-face classroom. This should not be considered a failure but simply a poor fit. Changing to another delivery medium is not usually an option in the face-to-face classroom; there may be no other alternatives. The online classroom provides an alternative that may be useful for some students.

In our experience, online distance education can successfully draw out a student who would not be considered a noisy learner in the traditional classroom. It can provide an educational experience that helps motivate students who appear to be unmotivated because they are quieter than their peers and less likely to enter into a classroom discussion. Take the example of an Asian student, Soomo, who participated in one of our online classes on the topic of management and organizational theory. He introduced himself to the group in the following way. We have not changed his writing; we wanted his struggles with language to be apparent.

And one of my problems, it’s my responsibility, English is not my native language so I’m still struggling with learning English. I’ll try hard but everyone’s consideration will be appreciate regarding this matters in advance. I’m also see myself with introvert style. And feel uncomfortable to talk by on line.

By his own admission, he was generally a quiet member of face-to-face classes. Although he wanted to share, his struggles with English and the extroverted nature of his classmates left him silent, though actively listening to discussion. As our online course continued, his posts to the discussion were frequent and indicated a depth of thought. The following is his contribution to a discussion of Reframing Organizations by Bolman and Deal (2003):

My understanding for the human resources frame is that this frame focuses on the fit between individual and organization. In this point of view, I can think about the “manager’s job and the organization theory.” The potentially disastrous consequences can be avoided, however, if the manager commands a sound knowledge of the organization theory. This theory can help him or her make quality decisions and successfully influence others to carry them out. It can help improve decision quality by making the manager aware of the various components of organization theory. To understand how they fit together as an explanation of the activity of the organization provides a perspective for seeing a decision’s consequences. . . . . Better quality decisions coupled with more effective implementation through better understanding of individual and group behavior can bring improved performance to the organization. I think it’s important that a manager (management group) ensure that its members have exposure to organization theory.

Personally, I don’t like the word “Frame.” Because it means, in other words, “easy to break.” Some organizational changes are incremental. They entail incorporating new technologies with existing missions and strategies. Organizational growth and redirection may also be incremental, but not necessarily. Other organizational changes are frame breaking. The risks are high, and events happen quickly. This usually means a change in the organization’s goals and operations. Organizational start-ups and mergers are likely to be frame-breaking experiences.

Most of this student’s contributions to the discussion throughout the course were of this nature. He received feedback from other students regarding the thoughtfulness of his contributions and his ability to help them look at ideas in another way. Generally quiet and concerned about his language skills in a face-to-face classroom, this student was able to overcome all of this in the online environment and make significant contributions to his own learning as well as to that of his student colleagues.

MAKING THE TRANSITION AND ESTABLISHING PRESENCE

The following is from a graduate student.

On Monday I had a mini-meltdown all on my own. I was really missing the body language cues and the time lag in the conversation was frustrating. I was very aware that I am working with a bunch of people who are obviously high functioning with lots of expertise. I wanted to be able to contribute at a comparable level and wondered if I was up to the task. I also wanted to respond quickly to all the links while juggling too many other responsibilities. I took a deep breath, looked at the humour in the situation and went to bed! Cheryl

This quotation, posted by a graduate student to an online course, is representative of some of the struggles that may occur as the transition is made from the face-to-face classroom to an online environment where interactions among learners are expected. When teaching and learning leave the classroom, many elements are left behind and new expectations emerge.