Request for input on post-secondary distance education "classroom" environment dissertation research

[Scott Walker <walks@lake.ollusa.edu>]

Dear Colleagues, 

(Apologies in advance for cross-posting. I'm attempting to gain
significant international feedback.)

My name is Scott Walker. I am a doctoral student [by distance] in the
Science and Math Education Centre at Curtin University of Technology
in Perth, Western Australia (Advisor: Barry Fraser, Ph.D.). I am also an
instructor of education in the Master of Education-Education Technology
program at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.

I am currently developing a distance education learning environments
(psycho-social environment) survey instrument to be implemented as part
of my dissertation work on the topic of post-secondary distance
education. (Proposal available at:
http://www.itouch.net/~swalker/smec/dissertation/index.html) 

One step in developing a valid survey is to develop salient scales.
Within this step of developing scales I'm seeking feedback from experts
in distance education. 

If you are a post-secondary distance education practitioner or
researcher with 15 minutes to spare, I would like to ask that you review
the scales for each dimension below and rank them by their
appropriateness, relevance, and suitability for measuring quality in
post-secondary distance education. 

Instructions are below.

Thank you in advance for your time and professional assistance. 

Regards, 

Scott Walker, M.A.G. 

Education Department, Education Technology Program
Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Univ. Office +210 434-6711 X304
Home Office +512 392-1930
Fax +603 719-9542

INSTRUCTIONS
=================================================================
NOTE: Please reply directly to walks@lake.ollusa.edu, rather than the
entire e-mail discussion group (so that this is less like SPAM).

Each of the 3 dimensions below has several potential scales, some 
of which I will eliminate based on your feedback. The scales I select 
for the survey will later have survey items (statements) developed for
them. 

I would like for you to prioritize each scale within the associated 
dimension for three things:

__Appropriateness 
__Relevance 
__Suitability 

for post-secondary distance education, by typing a number in the blank
below to each scale.

Example: 
A.4. Student Interaction & Collaboration - Extent to which students have
opportunities to interact with one another, exchange information and
engage in collaboration [in university distance education].

_1_Appropriate 
(You think this is the most appropriate for the "classroom" environment
in 
university distance education of the 5 scales listed under A.) 

_5_Relevant 
(However, you think this is least relevant of the 5 scales listed under
A.)  

_2_Suitable 
(You think this is the second most suitable of the 5 scales listed under
A.)

If you have comments, please feel free to write them in.

Once you have ranked each scale, please forward your response in the
body of 
an e-mail message to walks@lake.ollusa.edu.

==================================================================


A. RELATIONSHIP DIMENSION - Individuals are involved in the environment
and support/help each other; personal relationships between inhabitants;
involvement, affiliation, support, assistance, peer cohesion  (Moos,
1974).

POTENTIAL ASSOCIATED SCALES WITHIN THIS DIMENSION (rank each by priority
of appropriateness, relevance, and suitability from 1-5)

  1. Student Negotiation - Extent to which there are "opportunities for
students to explain and justify to other students, listen to other
students, reflect on viability of others' ideas…" (Taylor, Fraser,
Fisher, 1997). 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable

  2. Student Cohesiveness - "Extent to which students are in contact,
communicate with each other…" (Jegede & Fraser, 1998, p. 6).

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  3. Teacher Support -"…extent to which the teacher is approachable and
responds quickly with feedback…" (Jegede & Fraser, 1998, p. 7).

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  4. Student Interaction & Collaboration - Extent to which students have
opportunities to interact with one another, exchange information and
engage in collaboration. 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  5. Instructor Interaction - Extent to which student have the
opportunity to interact with the instructor. 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

---

B. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT DIMENSION - Opportunity afforded by the
environment for self-enhancement and development of self-esteem;
personal growth and development; autonomy, independence,
intellectuality, academic achievement, competition (Moos, 1974).     

POTENTIAL ASSOCIATED SCALES WITHIN THIS DIMENSION (rank each by priority
of appropriateness, relevance, and suitability from 1-4)

  1. Personal Relevance - "Connection between students' out-of-school
experiences" (Taylor, Fraser, Fisher, 1997). 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  2. Authentic Learning - Extent to which students have the opportunity
to solve real-world problems that are authentic. 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  3. Active Learning - Extent to which students have the opportunity
take an active role in their learning. 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  4. Reflective Thinking - Extents to which students have the
opportunity to reflect upon their own thinking and learning.

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

---

C. SYSTEM MAINTENANCE & CHANGE DIMENSION - Environment is orderly, clear
in expectation, control, responses to change; order, organization,
clarity, control (Moos, 1974).       

POTENTIAL ASSOCIATED SCALES WITHIN THIS DIMENSION (rank each by priority
of appropriateness, relevance, and suitability from 1-5)

  1. Shared Control - Extent to which "students being invited to share
with teacher control of the learning environment, including design and
management of learning activities and the determination of assessment
criteria" (Taylor, Fraser, Fisher, 1997). 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  2. Student Autonomy - Students have opportunities to initiate ideas,
make their own learning decisions, and the locus of control is student
oriented. 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  3. Order & Organization - The extent to which materials and/or the
instructor provide clear expectations, topics and student activities are
well organized. 

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  4. Personal Involvement & Flexibility - "…extent to which students can
make choices about their learning" (Jegede & Fraser, 1998, p. 8).

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

  5. Task Orientation & Material Development - "The extent to which the
distance education materials provide clear expectations and are
well-organised and clear" (Jegede & Fraser, 1998, p. 8).

__Appropriate __Relevant __Suitable 

---

Please place an X in one of the statements below.

__ I am willing to offer reviews of further survey development.

__ I would prefer not to be approached for future reviews.

---
---

So that I may properly reference you in my dissertation, please type
your:

Name:

Position:

Affiliation:

E-mail Address:

URL (if available):

Number of years practicing 
and/or researching distance 
education at the post-secondary level:

---

Please e-mail your responses directly to me at walks@lake.ollusa.edu

I cannot thank you enough for your time! 

Regards, 

Scott Walker