OLIT 535

Pattie Salas

Francisco Apodaca

• The United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,

has a variety of Distance Education programs. The existing

programs are delivered in various formats, delivery methods,

and many are duplicative.

• This study will examine those programs which exhibit distance

education best management practices and principles.

• The distance programs identified which exhibit the best

management practices, would then be replicated and their

design would be used to produce training programs for use

throughout the USDA FS.

• The USDA FS, like all other federally funded

organizations, has been mandated to implement deep

fiscal budgetary reductions.

• The current use of traditional training programs is costly

and has resulted in the duplication of programs

throughout the USDA FS.

• Compounding this budgetary constraint is the loss of

knowledge through attrition and lack of communication

within the organization

• The current use of distance education programs is very

limited in scope and are centered in individual forest units

and divisions.

• By utilizing recognized distance education best

management practices and principles a unified distance

education system could be implemented, thereby reducing

costs and eliminating the duplication of programs.

• These programs would also lead to the establishment of

Communities of Practice and insure the management and

transfer of knowledge through the USDA FS.

• Twelve programs were examined to determine which of

those programs exhibit distance education best

management practices and principles. These included

12 unique elements of criteria as well as the following

qualitative areas:

1. Institutional Context and Commitment

2. Curriculum and Instruction

3. Faculty Support

4. Student Support

5. Evaluation and Assessment

FSP 6 8 10 12 55 82 85 181 182 186 194 266

Criteria

1 x x x x x x x x

2 x x x x x x x x x x

3 x x x x x x x x x x x

4 x x x x x x x x x x x

5 x x x

6 x x X x x x x x x x x

7 x x x x x x x

8 x x x

9 x x x x x x x x x

10 x x x x x x x x x x

11 x x x x x

12 x x x x x x x x x x

8 6 5 8 9 6 12 8 11 11 6 8

KSC Practice #6 – National Fire Cache Community of Practice – 8/12

FSP #8 – Region 4 Hydrology Community of Practice – 6/12

FSP #10 – Video Conference Science Seminars – 5/12

FSP #12 – Virtual SociAL Events – 8/12

FSP #55 – MonarchLIVE: A Distance LeRNING Adventure – 9/12

FSP #82 – Region 5 – Oral History Recording Kits – 6/12

FSP #85 – Facilitated Learning Analysis – 12/12**

FSP #181 – PollinatorLIVE – 8/12

• FSP #182 – Hands on the Land – 11/12*

• FSP #186 – NA S&PF use of Webinars – 11/12*

• FSP #194 – Emerald Ash Borer Webinars – 6/12

• FSP #266 – FS YouTube Channel – 8/12

•

• TOP 3 RATED BEST PRACTICES

• FSP #85 – Facilitated Learning Analysis – 12/12**

• FSP #182 – Hands on the Land – 11/12*

• FSP #186 – NA S&PF use of Webinars – 11/12*

1) Provides instruction (must meet this criteria or eliminated)

2) Androgogy – Adult based learning

3) Fosters knowledge meaning

4) Transfer of knowledge to learner-based systems

5) Provides for reciprocal teaching

6) Is learner-centered

7) Emphasis on active participation

8) Provides for analysis, synthesis, and evaluation

9) Promotes active learning

10) Allows for group collaboration and cooperative learning to

foster Communities of Practice

11)Provides for multiple levels of interaction (learner - instructor,

learner - learner, learner – group, learner – technology)

12) Focus on real-world problem-solving

*Adopted from the American Distance Education Consortium,

ADEC Guiding Principles for Distance Teaching and Learning ,

2003. http://www.adec.edu/admin/papers/distance-

teaching_principles.html

USDA

Forest Service

• Continuing Education

face-2-face ITV/Blended Distance Learning

Mobile Online

Current Best

Practices

Criteria for

Review/Evaluation

Briefing

DocumentModel

Concept Map

by

Francisco/Pattie

Based on the above analysis, the following Criteria are recommended as

Best Practices for Distance Education:

1. Define vision, mission, goals

2. Engage key stakeholders in needs analysis

3. Define roles and responsibilities

4. Benchmark milestones to assess goal achievement/set expectations

5. Design with flexibility to “go back” as needed

6. Provide reinforcement tools and investigate technical limitations

7. Evaluate, adjust, and monitor process for future use

The Constructivist Theory is an active process wherein Learners

construct their own knowledge by gathering information,

experience, and knowledge and making meaning of it.

In Distance Education, technology allows Learners to connect any

where there is accessibility and anytime they choose. This

connectivity environment provides for a network that spans global

communication.

Strategies for teaching adults (different from teaching children)

The Self Concept Principle - the self-directing character of the

adult learner rather than dependent nature of the child.

The Experience Prinicple - adults draw on experience whereas

children are deemed as not having sufficient experience

Readiness to learn - adult learning needs tend to focus more

towards their social roles while pedagogy claims that the learning

needs of children are geared towards physiological and mental

development stages

Orientation to learning assumes that adults put more value on

being able to practically apply their learning while pedagogy

suggests that children naturally focus on postponing immediate

application for future needs.

Knowles, " The Modern Practice of Adult Education", 1980

Best Practices Criteria*

Provides instruction (must meet this criteria or eliminated)

Androgogy – Adult based learning

Fosters knowledge meaning

Transfer of knowledge to learner-based systems

Provides for reciprocal teaching

Is learner-centered

Emphasis on active participation

Provides for analysis, synthesis, and evaluation

Promotes active learning

Allows for group collaboration and cooperative learning to

foster Communities of Practice

Provides for multiple levels of interaction (learner - instructor,

learner- learner, learner – group, learner –technology)

Focus on real-world problem-solving

*Adopted from the American Distance Education Consortium, ADEC Guiding

Principles for Distance Teaching and Learning , 2003.

http://www.adec.edu/admin/papers/distance-teaching_principles.html

Position Roles and job titles of the Distance Learning Management:

Director – recruits, leads an organization, understands

regulations, provides quality product/services. Strategic

planning and coordinating resources are a key role. This

position is responsible for Tasks of Courses offered and the

alignment of appropriate Staffing.

Administration - Managers who develop and manage online

programs, create the logistics, and conduct the training. Quality

assurance is a key role. This position is responsible for Tasks of

Administering all services in a teamwork environment.

Policy Issues – A vision and goal must be established and

communicated to all stakeholders.

With these goals and practices in mind, we analyzed the 12

Distance Education programs and determined which met the best

practice criteria in Distance Learning. The goal would be to replicate

those best practices in order to:

1. Eliminate duplication

2. Implement cost savings

3. Allow for the Distance Learner to expect consistent program

format by increasing department wide DE programs versus

regional or individual programs.

4. We will see increased communications, knowledge transfer, and

establish Communities of Practice.

The American Distance Education Consortium,

ADEC Guiding Principles for Distance Teaching

and Learning , 2003.

http://www.adec.edu/admin/papers/distance-

teaching_principles.html

Best Practices in Electronically Delivered Programs

www.sacscoc.org/pdf/commadap.pdf

These Best Practices are divided into five separate

components, each of which addresses a particular

area of institutional activity relevant to distance

education.

References