Issues in Distance Education

Minutes of Meeting

March 27, 2000

A meeting dealing with various issues and concerns for distance learning across Nebraska was held at ESU 10, Kearney, Nebraska, on Monday, March 27, 2000. Those attending the meeting included: Judi Haney, Wayne Erickson, Alan Wibbels, Rich Schlesselman, Shirley Schall, Liz Hoffman, Phyllis Brunken, John Horvath, Bob Hays, Pat Hoffman, Sarah Cunningham, Max Thacker, Barb Audley, Graci Gillming, Tom Rolfes, Wayne Fisher, B. J. Peters, Dennis Carmichael, Don Ferneding, Linda Wagner, Bob Huber, Craig Carlson, Raymond Huebschman and Gloria Vavricka.

Below are the areas of concern identified in a Brainstorming session by those attending the NDLA formation meeting. In parentheses are the votes items received.

1. Better communication between service providers. (1 vote)

2. Support technical services. (1 vote)

3. What can we do to help get all college instructors certificated to teach to K-12 students. (3 votes)

4. How can we create a better flow of information between K-12 and high education concerning distance learning?

Keeping informed as to what is going on with new sites availabilities

How might Concordia University interact via distance education with the other state schools?

Is it possible to have communication statewide listing distance learning offerings from the various entities?

What class offerings are needed by pods/K-12? (4 votes)

5. Principal/Administrator Training and management issues

Enrollment limits and enforcement

Administrative support

We need standardized policies and procedures. (10 votes)

6. High cost of line charges for post-secondary (no Erate)

Funding

Upgrading early adopting schools

Ongoing funding, upgrade costs/monthly

Funding for remaining not connected schools (9 votes)

7. Common scheduling calendars

Minimum/maximum enrollments and site numbers

Scheduling process especially inter-network

Inter-pod scheduling

Scheduling (2 votes)

8. Ripping through the layers of government bureaucracy - who to go to for what?

Too many layers of bureaucracy and system is not user friendly.

How can NITC help?

9. Compensation for distance learning educators (8 votes)

10. Inter operability

Connectivity

Interconnectability

Area pod connection, then statewide connection

Inter-connections across state

Need for statewide connectivity

Scheduling concerns for DS-3 (lack of bidirectional links) (19 votes)

11. Statewide infrastructure

Statewide connectivity

Connection issues -- How many locations in each class/offerings

Connection between pods

Inter-pod communication (gateways)

Infrastructure backbone connection across the state

We need statewide connectivity!

Backbone-connect to all pods

12. What other local and national associations have similar goals or objectives?

(duplication/collaboration)

13. Better/more access to faculty training/Education/Professional Development

(7 votes)

14. Training -- Beginning, Intermediate, Advance

Staff Training -- Content, Strategies

Teacher Certification for distance learning teachers

Curriculum modification (time, training, compensation)

Teacher training (involvement of "all" students -- how to)

15. Program collaboration

Figure out a way to allow classes as well as programs to move between K-12 and Post-Secondary

16. We need a simple block diagram of systems and interconnections. (2 votes) 17. Multiple Delivery Modes

Less Travel

Nebraska Distance Learning Association: Shirley distributed USDLA brochures, proposed NDLA Constitution and Bylaws, and USDLA Fee structure information.

State Chapter Initiation Fee of $500 has been paid by UNL. A fee of $5 from each member goes to the USDLA. The usual state chapter setup includes institutional members, plus individual memberships.

A suggestion was made to seek start-up funding from such organizations as NETA, NEMA, and MII. John Horvath made the motion to form the NDLA to operate under the proposed Constitution and Bylaws still such time as their officially adopted .Second Max Thacker. A Roll Call vote was taken and the Motion carried.

Planned activities: Wayne Fisher suggested setting up a web page for NDLA, and will help work on that effort. Max Thacker volunteered to set up a listserv for NDLA. Send any planned activities to Tom Rolfes, trolfes@cio.state.ne.us.

NET Technical Workshop: The annual Neb*Sat Technical Workshop will be held at Northeast Community College, Norfolk, Nebraska, beginning at noon on June 14, and concluding at noon on June 16th. Breakout sessions, from 1.5 to 2 hours in length, will include topics such as Satellite, Technical, Teachers, Scheduling, and "So you have been asked to be a distance learning teacher?", Observing teacher best practices &endash; Actual lessons using all peripherals possible.

Next meeting for NDLA will be at NEB*SAT June 14 at 10:00 a.m.

Shirley and Phyllis temporarily provide leadership for organization. Election of officers will be held at the June 14th meeting.

Membership fee structure: Sarah, Pat, Max, Liz, Rich,and Phyllis volunteered to work on setting up some suggested guidelines.

Scheduling information for systems across the state: Linda Wagner is preparing a summer list for NET 2, NET 3, DS3, NVCN. NET will move to web base piloting; Linda will get information to Tom Rolfes.

Problem at North Platte: U.S. West switch at North Platte needs an update in both modem speed and web based scheduling. Cytek and Todd communications have TekTronics code; NET scheduler perhaps could be used to schedule among the switches. Linda will research possibility. DASCOM and TekTronics are working on scheduler which may be able to handle scheduling among the pod members.

Equipment inventories: Don Ferneding, John Horvath, Bob Huber, Chris Petroff will explore the possibility of joining forces to have a joint inventory, overnight to anywhere in the state. Clearinghouse of backup equipment such as cameras, Elmos, and televisions to share among pods. Phyllis will get an interlibrary loan policy to Don Ferneding.

Statewide distance Learning Survey: Tom Rolfes, Wayne Fisher distributed survey results; much growth has been seen in the systems.

Teacher Training: Liz Hoffman, NDE, reported that an Excellence In Education grant had been submitted--TEDEC--Teaching Effectively in the Distance Education Consortia. The concept is multi-level training in both content and instructional strategies, with statewide certification for demonstrated competency in distance learning. Teachers from one hundred and eighty secondary schools would receive training. NDLA may provide the certification. Rich Schlessleman suggested that such training might qualify under QEIP money for master teachers.

Currently, there is a one-hour credit class for post-secondary teachers on teaching strategies through NECC; a $200 stipend and tuition waiver is provided for taking the class. Chadron is training three times a year. The suggestion was made to talk to Dean O'Hanlen to have distance learning added to teacher prep classes.

It was also mentioned that it is imperative to have administrators take the training, and the question was asked if certification includes management and administrative support.

Liz Hoffman suggested that a task force, perhaps funded from NDE, be created to design competencies for distance educators. Graci Gillming, Dennis Carmichael, Bob Hayes, and Judi Haney volunteered to help work on such a task force if funding can be found.

NEB*SAT training projects materials, NN21, and Nebraska Network 2020, will share information during a concurrent session on June 15th.

TINA Study: The study has been looking at statewide interconnectivity. An advisory group meeting will be held on March 29th. www.nitc.state.ne.us website has updated information on the progress of the move toward interconnectivity.

The next meeting will be June 14, 2000, at 10:00 a.m., Room L, Lifelong Learning Center, Northeast Community College, Norfolk, Nebraska.

Phyllis Brunken, Interim Secretary