Support And Social Activities In Internet-Based Distance Education

Year 2013, Volume: 14 Issue: 3, 261 - 285, 01.09.2013

Aslı Tırnovalı Figen Kılıc

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to propose practical suggestions through determining the state of support activities and social activities among internet-based educational programs in distance education. In line with this aim, students’ and instructors’ views related with support activities and social activities practiced in the programs within internet-based distance education models applied in Mersin University Mersin Vocational Schools were gathered. 502 students and 30 instructors participated in the study. The quantitative data was collected through surveys, and the qualitative data was gathered through interviews. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the categorical data. Moreover, the qualitative data was analyzed via content analysis. According to the findings of the study, students needed to get support about education directives, career guidance, technical equipment, and personal problems. The most frequently visited sources to get support by students are teachers, secretariat, and administrative units. However, students did not consider the supports they got from these units as sufficient. According to most of the students and instructors participated in the study, being involved in social activities was so prominent specifically to provide motivation for students. However, it seems impossible to be engaged in social activities in distance education due to the nature of distance education. Students generally regarded themselves as unsocial, and they considered provided social interaction environment as insufficient. Students and instructors expressed that they mostly interacted through social networking sites. Further, they stated that the social environments they mostly faced with each other were final exams and graduation ceremony.

Keywords

Distance Education, Internet-Based Learning, Support Activities, Social Activities.

References

• Al, U., and Madran, O. (2004). Web-Based Distance Education Systems: Specifications and Standards, The world of information, 5(2): 259-271.
• Amiotte, S. and Wheeler, S. (2005). The Death of Distance: Documetting the Effect of
• Distance Education in South Dakota, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, ISSN 1302-6488 6 (1).
• Arslan, M. (2004). Eğitim Sistemimizin Kapanmayan Yarası-Yükseköğretime Geçiş,
• Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi (The Festering Sore Of Our Education System-Transition To Higher Education), Journal Of Social Sciences Institute, No: 16 (37-51) http://sbe.erciyes.edu.tr/dergi/sayi_16/05_aslan.pdf 07.07.2012 (Date accessed).
• Aşkar, M. (2000). Teknolojiler, Araçlar, Servisler ve Ortamlar [Technologies, Tools,
• Services and Media], Tübitak, May Bulletin. Bartoletti, R. (2011). Visual Design for Distance Education Content, http://cnx.org/content/col10556/1.1 retrieved on 16.06.2012.
• Burn, M. (2010). Not Too Distant: A Survey of Strategies for Teacher Support In Distance
• Education Programs, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, ISSN 1302-6488 11(2).
• Burns, E. C. ( 2011). The Adult Learner: A Change Agent in Post-Secondary Education.
• Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 14(2). Bontempi, E. (2003). Motivation and Distance Learning: What we Knows So Far. http://www.xplanazine.com/2003/11/motivation-and-distance-learning-what-we- know-so-far retrieved on 07.07.2009
• Bronack, S. , Riedl, R. and Tashner, J. (2006). Learning İn The Zone: A Social
• Constructivist Framework For Distance Education in a 3-Dimensional Virtual World, Interactive Learning Environments, 14(3), pp. 219–232 Carr, K. C. and Farley, C. L. (2003). Redesigning Courses For The World Wide Web.
• Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 48(6), 407-417. Chaudry, M. A. and Rahman, F. (2010). A Critical Review of Instructional Design Process of Distance Learning System, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE, ISSN 1302-6488 11(3), Article 11.
• Clark, R. C. and Mayer, E. R. (2005). E-Learning and Science of Instruction: Proven
• Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning. Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer. Cosgrove, M. (2002). Telecommunications Distance Learning and Teacher Preparation. http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED477732.pdf retrieved on 17.06.2009.
• Chaney, B. (2005). History, Theory, and Quality İndicators Of Distance Education: A
• Literature Review, (pp. 7-10), Educational Technology Review. Callı, I. (2002). Türkiye’de Uzaktan Eğitimin Geleceği ve E-Üniversite (The Future of
• Distance Education in Turkey and E-University), Anadolu University Open and Distance Education Symposium, Eskişehir (23-25 May). Cardak, C. S. (2006). Çevrimiçi Derslerde Öğretme-Öğrenme Sürecinin Etkililiğinin
• Değerlendirmesi [Evaluating The Effectiveness of Teaching-Learning Process At On-line Courses (Anadolu University Sample)]. Unpublished Master Degree Thesis. Anadolu University Departemnt Of Educational Sciences, Eskişehir. Cekerol, K. (2005). Açıköğretim Fakültesinde Akademik Danışmanlık Hizmetleri
• [Academic Counselling Services at Open University Faculty], 5th International Education Technology Conference, Sakarya. DiRamio, D. and Wolverton, M. (2006). Integrating Learning Communities and Distance
• Education: Possibility or Pipedream?, Innovative Higher Education,31 (2), 99-113
• Dimri, K., A. and Chaturvedi, A. (2009). Analysis With Learner Input of Student Support
• Services in India, The Asian Society of Open and Distance Education ISSN 1347-9008, 7(2), pp 4 – 16.
• Doherty, I. (2010). Agile Project Management for e-Learning Developments, Journal of
• Distance Education, 24(1), 91-106. Dolan, V. (2011). The Isolation of Online Adjunct Faculty and its Impact on their
• Performance, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, ISSN: 1492-3831, 12(2).
• Dooley, K. E., Linder, J. R., and Dooley, L. M. (2005). Advanced Methods in Distance
• Educations: Applications and Practices For Educators, Administrators and Learners. Hershey, PA: Information Science Processing. Erkus, A. (2005). Bilimsel Araştırma Sarmalı [The Spiral of Scientific Research], Ankara: Seçkin Publishing.
• Graham, C., Cagiltay, K., Craner, J., Lim, B. and Duffy, T. (2000). Teaching İn a Web
• Based Distance Learning Environment: An Evaluation Summary Based on Four Courses. The Center For Research On Learning And Technology, Technical Report (No. 13-00), Indiana Universty. Gürol, M. ve Demirli, C. (2001). Uzaktan Eğitimde Oluşturmacı Tasarım ve Uygulanması.
• (Constructivist Design and Implementation in Distance Education), International Education Technologies Symposium and Fair (28-30 November). Sakarya: Sakarya University. Hawkins, A., Barbour, M. K., and Graham, C. (2011). Strictly Business: Teacher
• Perceptions Of İnteraction İn Virtual Schooling. In M. Koehler & P. Mishra (eds.), Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Society for Information, Technology and Teacher Education. Norfolk, VA: AACE. Huang, R., Deggs, D., Jabor, M. K. and Machtmes, K. (2011). Faculty Online Technology
• Adoption: The Role of Management Support and Organizational Climate, Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 14(2). Imel, S. (1997). Web-based Training. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult,
• Career, and Vocational Education Center on Education and Training for Employment College of Education. (ERIC No. ED414446)
• Iwatsuki, M., Nonobe, K. and Tokiwa, Y. (2009). Web-Based Tools to sustain the Motivation On Students in Distance Education, 39th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education
• Conference W2C-1 October 18 - 21, 2009, San Antonio, TX
• Jonassen, D., Davidson, M., Collins, M., Campbell, J. and Haag, B.B. (1995).
• Constructivism and Computer-Mediated Communication in Distance Education, American Journal of Distance Education, 9(2), 7-26. Kaba, A. U.; Güneş, A. ve Altıntaş, T. (2012). Effects Of Support Services in E-learning To
• Learners’ Satisfaction, Journal Of Education Technologies Researches, 3(2). Karasar, N. (2008). Bilimsel Araştırma Yöntemi [Scientific Research Method (17th
• Edition)]. Ankara: Nobel Karataş, S. ve Soncul, H. (2007). Gazi Üniversitesi Uzaktan Eğitim Programı’nın
• Yürütülmesi Sürecinin Öz Değerlendirmesi, (Self-evaluation Of Distance Education Programme Process Implementation In Gazi University), XII. Internet Conference in Turkey 8-10 November, Ankara Kavathatzopoulos, I. (2006). Communication and Learning in On-line Course, 2nd
• International Open And Distance Learning (IODL) Symposium, Anadolu Üniv, Eskisehir. Kenny, R. F., and Wirth, J. (2009). Implementing Participatory, Constructivist Learning
• Experiences Through Best Practises in Live Interactive Performance, The Journal of Effective Teaching, 9(1), 34-47
• Khan, B. (2004). People- Process and Product Continuum in E-Learning: The e-learning
• P3 Model. Educational Technology, 44(5), 33-40, http://asianvu.com/bookstoread/etp/elearning-p3model.pdf 19.04.2012
• Kücük, M. (2010) Çevrimiçi Öğrenenlerin Öğrenme Biçimi, Öğrenme Stratejileri Ve Eşzamansız Tartışmalara Katılımları Arasındaki İlişki, (The Relation Between Online
• Learners’ Learning Styles, Learning Strategies and Their Attending To Nonsynchronous Debates), Unpublished Doctorate Thesis, Anadolu University Social Sciences Institute. Eskisehir. Miles, M. B. and Huberman, A. M. (1994). An Expanded Sourcebook: Qualitative Data
• Analysis. (2nd Ed.), California: Sage Publications. Moore, M., and Thompson, M. M. (1997). The Effects Of Distance Learning, New York:
• American Center for the Study of Distance Education. Morgan, T. and Bullen, M. (2010). Digital learners in Higher Education: A Research
• Update, The Journal Of Distance Education, 25(1). Murphy, E. and Rodriguez-Manzanares, M. (2009). Learner centredness in high school distance learning: Teachers’ perspectives and research validated principles, Australasian
• Journal of Educational Technology, 25(5), 597-610
• Neuman, W. L. (2009). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative
• Approaches Vol: I, (Trast: Sedef Özge), Istanbul: Yayınodası Publishing. Ozarslan, M., Kubat, B. ve Bay O. F. (2007). Uzaktan Eğitim İçin Entegre Ofis Dersi’nin
• Web-tabanlı İçeriğinin Geliştirilmesi ve Üretilmesi, [Development And Creation Of The Web-based Content For Integrated Office Course in Distance Learning], Academic Informatics Conference, 31 January-2 February, Dumlupinar University, Kütahya. Perraton, H. (1988). A Theory For Distance Education. In D. Sewart, D. Keegan,
• Holmberg (Ed.), Distance education: International perspectives, New York: Routledge. Perraton, H. (2010). Teacher Education: The Role of Open and Distance Learning,
• Canada:Published by Commonwealth of Learning,. Ragan, L. C. (2009). Principles of Effective Online Teaching: Best Practices in Distance
• Education, Faculty Focus Special Report, Manga Publication Singh, H. and Reed, C. (2001). A white paper: Achieving success with blended learning.
• Lexington, MA: CentraSoftware, http://www.centra.com/download/whitepaper/blendedlearning.pdf 22.05.2012
• Smyth, R. (2005). Broadband Videoconferencing as a Tool for Learner-Centred Distance
• Learning in Higher Education. British Journal of Educational Technology. 36 (5) Svensson, L. (2002). Communities of Distance Education, Gothenburg Studies in
• Informatics, Report 25, ISSN 1400-741X
• Sahin, M. C. (2004). İnternet Tabanlı Uzaktan Eğitimin Etkililiği: Bir Meta-Analiz
• Çalışması. (The Effectiveness Of Internet-Based Distance Education: A Meta-Analysis Study). Unpublished Master Degree Thesis. Çukurova University Social Sciences Institute, Adana. Simsek, N. (2006). Uzaktan Öğretim Sistemlerindeki Çevrimiçi Etkileşimlerinin Yapısal
• Fırat University Social Sciences Institute. Elazıg. Thomas, M. L. ve Soares, J. (2009). Increasing Public Access to University Qualifications:
• Evolution of The University of the West Indies Open Campus, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(1). Usta, E. (2007). Harmanlanmış Öğrenme ve Çevrimiçi Öğrenme Ortamlarının Akademik
• Başarı ve Doyuma Etkisi, [The Effects of Blended Learning And Online Learning Media To Academic Success And Satisfaction], Unpublished Doctorate Thesis. Gazi University Education Sciences Institute, Ankara. Valadares, J. (2007). Constructivist and Investigative Learning Environments in Distance
• Teaching, Lisboa: Universidade Aberta, p. [14]. Varol, A. ve Bingol, A. F. (2002). Türkiye’de Uzaktan Öğretim ve Fırat Üniversitesi’nin
• Uzaktan Öğretim Hedefleri, [Distance Education in Turkey And Distance Education Targets of Fırat University], International-Attended Open And Distance Education Symposium, Eskisehir. Walker, S, L. (2003). Development and Validation of an Instrument for Assessing
• Distance Education Learning Environments in Higher Education: The Distance Education Learning Environments Survey (DELES). Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, Curtin University of Technology, Science and Mathematics Education Centre. Yang, Y. (2010). Roles of Administrators in Ensuring the Quality of Online Programs
• Knowledge Management & E-Learning. An International Journal, 2 (4), (363-369). Yanpar, T. (2005). Öğretim Teknolojileri ve Materyal Geliştirme (Instructioanl
• Technologies And Material Devlopment), Ankara: Anı Publishing. Yıldırım, A. ve Simsek, H. (2005). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nicel Araştırma Yöntemleri
• [Qualitative Research Methods in Social Sciences], Ankara: Seckin Publications.