**3. The characteristics and features of effective distance teaching and learning**

For determining effective distance teaching- learning features, effectiveness should be defined at first. Effectiveness is defined differently; Sasson (1987) refers to it as "the right actions", Patsula (2001) defines it as the degree to which a project attains the predicted objectives got by the organization duty, qualitative standards or other matters.

Effectiveness can be regarded as the viewpoint of learning and the learner's satisfaction, the profits of educational organization and attaining to the organizational goals or the satisfaction of faculty members. Certainly, the learner and learning are the bases of Distance Education institutions; effective educating and learning is a continuous procedure and does not happen at once. Boettcher (2007) says that planning an effective learning environment needs a conception and understanding of mental procedures, knowledge and pedagogic principles and basic learning theories that define the effectiveness and its value.

Learning-teaching is a process that has passed a developed and complicated history and change. Basic cases of this process are the teacher and learner. These two make an active relationship by using educational intermediates such as oral discourse and speech, written and printed texts and today distance education wares to transfer the main contents of teaching that is knowledge, skill and advantage from one to the other or exchange during a communication procedure (Ebrahimzadeh, 2009). For specifying the features of effective distance learning-teaching, its capabilities should be recognized thoroughly corresponding and a learning theory should be applied. Therefore, distance education theoretical basics, information communication(ICT) based education, learning theories, higher education mission, and researches related to the advantages and shortcomings of distance education have been evaluated; also through case-study, the features of effective distance education presented by valid institutions have been classified and analyzed that we describe them briefly as the followings.

#### **3.1 The theoretical bases of distance learning**

16 International Perspectives of Distance Learning in Higher Education



Evaluation of the performed studies in distance education suggests that in recent decades, the attention toward distance education has increased in most universities. It caused that new models on the ground of distance education are used. Improving the quality of the curriculum of distance universities depends on the combination of the right facilities and capabilities associated with the related learning theories. These theories should encourage active learning-teaching strategies, cooperation, and flexibility and based on the learner in distance education, have the ability to admit new methods and technologies and form future

**3. The characteristics and features of effective distance teaching and** 

objectives got by the organization duty, qualitative standards or other matters.

principles and basic learning theories that define the effectiveness and its value.

For determining effective distance teaching- learning features, effectiveness should be defined at first. Effectiveness is defined differently; Sasson (1987) refers to it as "the right actions", Patsula (2001) defines it as the degree to which a project attains the predicted

Effectiveness can be regarded as the viewpoint of learning and the learner's satisfaction, the profits of educational organization and attaining to the organizational goals or the satisfaction of faculty members. Certainly, the learner and learning are the bases of Distance Education institutions; effective educating and learning is a continuous procedure and does not happen at once. Boettcher (2007) says that planning an effective learning environment needs a conception and understanding of mental procedures, knowledge and pedagogic

Learning-teaching is a process that has passed a developed and complicated history and change. Basic cases of this process are the teacher and learner. These two make an active relationship by using educational intermediates such as oral discourse and speech, written and printed texts and today distance education wares to transfer the main contents of teaching that is knowledge, skill and advantage from one to the other or exchange during a communication procedure (Ebrahimzadeh, 2009). For specifying the features of effective distance learning-teaching, its capabilities should be recognized thoroughly corresponding and a learning theory should be applied. Therefore, distance education theoretical basics, information communication(ICT) based education, learning theories, higher education mission, and researches related to the advantages and shortcomings of distance education have been evaluated; also through case-study, the features of effective distance education presented by valid institutions have been classified and analyzed that we describe them

thought, problem solution and high level of concept in the students.

technology (p.49).

functions.

**learning** 

briefly as the followings.

Distance learning is a complicated global phenomenon that is associated with various terms, meanings, theoretical concepts and models. With studying the distance learning theories, the independence theory of Moore & Wedemeyer and the interaction and communication theory of Moore & Garrison are more relevant to the present theories.


Learners get the learning content through technology and process them, then personalize the data and use them in any grounds they wish. In this process, the learners communicate with the content, professors and other learners to test and approve their ideas and use what they have learned. Distance education theory makers (Grison & Anderson, 1991, 2000; Holmburg, 2003; Moor & Kearsley, 1996; Gamson & Chickering, 2003) called the communication as an important criterion of the quality.

Therefore, the learner should take the responsibility of learning and regulate his learning activities for attaining to the goals at the right time and place, and also have communicate and react with the elements of academic milieu to improve learning and help create a the personalized concept.

#### **3.2 ICT based education concepts**

Using information and communication technology is a symbol of a new period for distance teaching (Peters, 2002). The reports of the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth Global Commission of International Distance education Society and most of the written articles by the pioneer researchers like Michael Moore (2003), Holmberg (1995, 2001, 2003), Garrison & Anderson (2000,2003) and Peters (2000, 2002, 2003) show that the development and an interest in distance education is increasing. All of these pioneers emphasized that using information and communication technology transforms distance education.

Traditionally, distance learning was provided for those who were not able to register in normal classes, but through progresses in information and communication technology everyone can be a distance learner. The progressive technology is learning and its facilities should be adapted to the nature of learning in human beings (Keppell, 2003, p.634). Education which is based on information and communication technology contains the six following features: telepresence, flexibility, communication, active learning, Collaboration and motivation. Thus, using information and communication technology transforms and changes mental models of distance education, enriches the present educational models more than before and

Distance Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Conceptual Model 19

educational environment which is based on the learner and individual and personal communication (Institute for Higher Education Policy, 20007). On the other hand in traditional distance education, since the students act independently and learning is individual, they hardly understand learning activities and follow a special time table. Although it reduces the anxiety and stress in the students, it decreases their challenge and effort (cho, 2002). One of the other shortcomings of distance education is that there is not enough class discussion. In education that students must participate and their presence in class is obligatory, to show the importance of learning activities, a model of social expectations is presented which determines the significance and quickness of learning activities. These expectations are mostly disregarded in distance education which decreases the price of completing the course compared to normal traditional education (American Federation of Teachers, 2000). As a result, in desired distance education, the objectives should be clarified, the quickness of learning should be suitable and group activities should be provided. By using high capabilities and right planning for the course, most of the

Many organizations have distributed guidance for effective distance learning. These are a reflection of various viewpoints in diagnosing effective factors and better distance education performance. In table 1, the features of effective distance education and their

> Student-faculty interaction, Collaboration, Active learning, Prompt feedback, Time on task, High expectations, Diverse

Interaction, Communication and community building, appropriate media, Learner-centered, feedback, flexibility

Student-faculty interaction, Student-student interaction, feedback, proper methods of instruction, valid evaluation and

System design, Program design, Program presentation, student development and support, Student communication and

selection of course and programs; faculty development, support and incentives; technology and infrastructure; redesign of

learner preparation, time on task, considering the learners'

information, Individualization, flexibility, clear feedback

assessment, student support, proper technology

student services; program and course evaluation

theorists Effective Distance Education Principles

talents and ways of learning

presentation, student assessment

Boettcher (2007). Interaction, learner-centered, collaboration, active learning,

Nikolz (2002) Interaction, student assessment, communication, quality

and community-centered

Table 1. The features of effective distance education and their theorists.

Bransford (2002) learner-centered, assessment-centered; knowledge-centered;

individual differences

traditional distance education shortcomings will be removed.

theorists makers of them have been presented.

**3.6 Case studies** 

Chickering and Gamson

The Sloan-C Framework

The Institute for Higher Education Policy (2000)

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education(1999)

Massachusetts-Lowell

University of

(2003)

(1996)

(2003)

makes new models. Consequently, new models with different pedagogies and features are presenting. These models share the features of an education based on technology and suggest modern educational and learning approaches in which the learner plays an important role and emphasize on self-directed, independent, flexible and communicative learning.
