Trends and Issues in Distance Education 2nd Edition

International Perspectives

Edited by:
Lya Visser, Learning Development Institute
Yusra Laila Visser, Florida Atlantic University
Ray Amirault, Florida Atlantic University
Michael Simonson, Nova Southeastern University

A volume in the series: Perspectives in Instructional Technology and Distance Education. Editor(s): Charles Schlosser, Nova Southeastern University. Michael Simonson, Nova Southeastern University.

Published 2012

Over the last decade, the field of distance education (and e-learning) has substantially strengthened and assumed a more international scope. There has been an impressive growth in the conceptual, empirical and experiential foundations of the field. Trends and Issues in Distance Education: International Perspectives (2nd Ed) captures a representative snapshot of the breadth of current global trends and issues in distance education theory, research, and practice. Through 21 chapters (from over 30 international authors), the book documents new developments in distance education scholarship and practice, presenting a diverse set of viewpoints on the trends and issues affecting this increasingly central discipline.

The book is for researchers, practitioners, and students. Chapters speak to the many creative ways in which distance education addresses learning and human development needs around the world. They focus on distance education in dissimilar settings that extend beyond the limitations of the dominating paradigms of the highly developed economies. Contributing authors touch upon conceptual as well as practical issues. They critically reflect on both large- and small-scale distance education initiatives, discussing the use of everything from the most advanced technologies (e.g., 3-D computing) to the most rudimentary technologies (e.g., wind-up radios).

CONTENTS
Introduction, Lya Visser and Yusra Laila Visser. Foreword, Lya Visser. About the Section Editors: Bios and photos. SECTION 1: PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBAL TRENDS AND ISSUES IN DISTANCE EDUCATION. Introduction by Yusra Laila Visser: Section Editor. International Research: Responding to Global Needs, Deborah LaPointe and Jennifer Linder-van Berschot. Why don’t we Simply Call it Environmental Design for the Provision and Use of Distributed Learning Resources? Jan Visser. Trends and Issues Facing Distance Education: A Nowcasting Exercise, Brent Wilson. Obstacles and Opportunities of Distance Higher Education in International Settings, Lya Visser. Distance Learning in Brazil: A Case of the “Fabulous Invalid?” Frederic Litto. Reflections and a Critical Review of the Perspectives on Global Trends and Issues in Distance Education, J. Michael Spector and Yusra Laila Visser. SECTION 2: DISTANCE EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION SETTINGS. Introduction by Michael Simonson: Section Editor. Virtual Schools: The American Experience with International Implications, Tom Clark and Zane Berge. Interactive Radio Instruction: Distance Education Approaches in Developing Countries, Jennifer Ho and Hetal Thukral. E-learning in the Portuguese Educational Context, Pedro Reis. The Difficult Route to Developing Distance Education in Mozambique, Muriel Visser-Valfrey, Jan Visser, and Cynthia Moos. SECTION 3: DISTANCE EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITY AND OTHER FORMALIZED HIGHER EDUCATION SETTINGS. Introduction by Ray Amirault: Section Editor. Will E-learning Permanently Alter the Fundamental Education Model of the Institution we call “The University?” Ray Amirault. Distance Education – Practice Before Research or Research Before Practice? Gary Anglin, Gary Morrison, and Jennifer Maddrell. The Globalization of the Higher Education Enterprise – Issues in the Delivery of Transnational Education in 2010, Andrea Hope. Distance Education Support Systems – Challenges and Opportunities, Wai-Kong Ng and Sow-Lai Kong. Personal Learning Environments in Distance Education, Ricardo Torres Kompen, Palitha Edirisingha, and Josep M. Monguet. Metacognition in Distance Learning – The Nelson-Narens Framework, Ansie Minnaar. SECTION 4: DISTANCE EDUCATION IN THE WORKPLACE AND IN NON-FORMAL SETTINGS. Introduction by Lya Visser: Section Editor. E-learning at the Workplace – The Case of a Manufacturing Company in Malaysia, Teoh Ai Ping. Distance Learning in Aviation – Applications and Impacts on a Global Industry, Michael Crudden. New Tools for Learning – The Use of Wiki’s, Evgeny Patarakin and Lya Visser. Formalizing Learning Spaces for Refugee Youth, Barbara Zeus. Learning Landscapes – European Perspectives on Distance Education in Prisons, Anita Wilson. Subject Index.

REVIEWS
"Organized into four sections, the editors Visser, Visser, Amirault, and Simonson present the reader the opportunity to explore the ways in which distance education is being utilized across the globe. Using a cultural lens, thirty prominent researchers and authors contributed 21 chapters that take a comprehensive look at the rapidly evolving field of distance education. Furthermore, the authors present personalized case studies which demonstrate the wide range of technologies and strategies used in distance education‐‐ from the most advanced technologies (e.g., 3‐D technologies)” to the most “rudimentary technologies (e.g., crank radios)”" Julie Deletto in Teachers College Record

"FROM E-LEARNING to m-learning and from Brazil to Mozambique, distance education comes in many shapes and sizes today. This diversity has advanced the field in many directions over the last decade, yet it has presented an important challenge for those who are considering distance education to improve performance. Namely, how do you keep up with the global trends and issues that are defining the next generation of distance education options?

The four editors of Trends and Issues in Distance Education recognized this challenge, and in response created a book that presents international distance education in a truly broad spectrum. This breadth is balanced with a writing style that illuminates practical applications that designers, developers, and other professionals can apply in a variety of contexts—including situations that do not cross international borders. The result is a very readable book that explores the theories, technologies, models, and approaches to distance education in its many forms, with a consistent focus on improving practice." Ryan Watkins George Washington University in Performance Improvement, vol. 53, no. 1 (Read full review)