PowerPoint Presentation

The Challenge of Making Distance Education WorkCOST VS. BENEFITS

PRESENTED BY: Era Caboy and Christian Paul Cagna-an

DISTANCE EDUCATION

Distance learning occurs when there is a separation between the teacher and the student, usually due to geographical or time concerns that prevent the student from attending an on-campus course.

Often, electronic means are used to bridge this gap and distribute educational material though distance learning programs using printed and mailed materials have existed for well over a hundred years. These programs have usually been specially designed to help best meet the needs and requirements that arise when learning is taking place outside of a traditional classroom setting.

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Cost Analyses of Distance/Online Education

Not long after the launch of the Web, administrators, evaluators and researchers began to conduct cost-benefit analyses of online education, and to engage in the related endeavour of identifying and quantifying cost differentials between this form of distance instruction and in class instruction.

DISTANCE EDUCATIONModels for Determining the Costs of Online LearningBartolic-Zlomislic & Bates (1999) discuss the potential benefits and limitations of online learning, including careful consideration of the costs associated with online learning. Cost factors into three groups: Capital and recurrent costsProduction and delivery costs Fixed and variable costs

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Cost Analyses of Distance/Online Education Capital and recurrent costs include things such as equipment and support for the equipment, Production and delivery include those costs incurred in the development and delivery of the course, Fixed and variable costs are those that either remain constant regardless of the number of participants (fixed) or change with the number of participants (variable).

DISTANCE EDUCATIONa. Capital and recurrent costs Factor of Use. It is not the technology itself, but how the technology is used that may be the most important factor in determining true cost. This point is particularly well-taken with regard to whether and how much Web technologies are used to create interaction between instructors and students, and as instructors facilitate and monitor student-to-student interactions.

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Cost Analyses of Distance/Online Education b. Production and delivery include those costs incurred in the development and delivery of the course, Unseen costs: Some unseen charges cannot be escaped. For instance, if a student lives or works in a outside area where irregular supply of things then the study material need to be mailed in advance. There will be sure extra charges and other costs which comes another point in bringing uneasiness to many.

DISTANCE EDUCATIONc. Fixed and variable costs are those that either remain constant regardless of the number of participants (fixed) or change with the number of participants (variable).

A further challenge in dealing with variation of costs is the variability of faculty salary, and balancing faculty-student ratios, since in order to achieve satisfactory faculty-student interaction class sizes typically need to be smaller and are therefore more costly.

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Cost Analyses of Distance/Online Education In distance learning, student and instructor also need to make proper plan much in advance to get the good and best result.Virtual courses can save money on constructing classrooms, dormitories and the overhead. However, starting a high-tech distance learning programs still can be expensive.Once the course or program is operational, the costs for keeping the technology current, developing new materials, updating courses, and marketing the courses still must be figured into the annual budget

Therefore, the provider usually should have the funds and technical support readily available to meet todays needs, and also should have the resources to expand their technical capabilities as the Internet expands its services.

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DISTANCE EDUCATIONBrief Summary of Cost Analyses of Distance/Online Education Jung (2003) best summarized the factors that go into cost accounting for online education the factors that affect cost and/or effectiveness of online education are: Number of students in a course Number of courses offered Amount of multimedia component in online courses Amount of instructor-led interaction Type of online education platform used

Clearly, these factors are highly variable on a course-by-course, program-by-program, and institution-by-institution basis, and therefore it is not possible to say in any absolute manner or with any absolute certainty that online education is more, or less, expensive than on-campus instruction.

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Benefits of Distance/Online Education 1. Reduced travel. The conveniences afforded by online technologies lead to significant cost and time savings for students, as they no longer need to drive to campus, buy parking permits, walk into classrooms, go to the library to access resources, or to meet face-to-face with faculty or other students in order to participate in educational experiences (Cornford & Pollock, 2003; Evans & Haase, 2001).

Though the word revolutionary may seem to be hyperbole, the key benefits of Web technologies are changing the landscape of higher education as leading institutions incur significant new costs in order to drive the development of online education programs. Key benefits of distance/online programs for students and institutions include: 11

DISTANCE EDUCATION2. Flexible scheduling. The same technologies that reduce/remove the need for students to travel to campus also create opportunities for and convenience of flexible scheduling so students can watch lectures, communication asynchronously, and access library resources 24/7, which allows students to participate in educational experiences that might otherwise not be possible due to demands at work, home, and other personal responsibilities (Jung, 2003).

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Benefits of Distance/Online Education 3. Interactivity. Web 2.0 technologies such as social networking, blogs, wiki, online communities and video communications have greatly improved and increased opportunities for students to interact with instructors and other students, allowing students to ask questions and to receive quick and frequent feedback from instructors, and to engage in interpersonal interactions with other students, across the dimensions of both time and space (Jung, 2003).

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DISTANCE EDUCATION4. New markets. Online instruction that can be delivered instantaneously around the world removes the limitations of geography and time, and means that any and every education provider has the potential to reach a global market (Bartolic-Zlomislic & Bates, 1999; and Evans & Haase, 2001), though, obviously the potential of reaching a new market may not actually be worth the cost of accessing it.

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Benefits of Distance/Online Education 5. Greater scalability. Access to new markets means that the same courses can be used to educate more people, thereby increasing the scalability of online courses (Evans & Haase, 2001), which should lead to decreases in average cost per course enrolment as enrolments rise (Arizona Learning Systems, 1998).

Scalability - accessibility15

DISTANCE EDUCATION6. Increased competition/Improved quality. As education providers take advantage of Web technology to move in to new markets, increasing competition is expected to unleash market forces that will eventually improve the overall quality of education, as competitors for student enrolments (Bartolic-Zlomislic & Bates, 1999).

There are some advantages of distance education.One of the primary advantages of distance education is the flexibility it provides to students. Distance education provides opportunities for people who may have trouble attending a traditional institution such as stay-at-home mothers, people working full time or members of the military. Many online educational programs allow you to work at your own place, so you can fit your education into your schedule. Flexibility in distance learning program gives chance to study without interfering in your personal life. If are working then you can always plan learning around other features of your life, without effecting any disturbing to personal nor professional life. With distance learning courses, students can complete their course work from just about anywhere, provided theres a computer and internet connection. This allows students to work when and where it is more convenient for them without having to squeeze in scheduled classes to an already busy life.Choosing education of your choice and numerous choices for schools. The most significant advantage of distance learning is that one can pursue his choice of education during any time of his life. There is no control about city, college, etc. One can live and study from anywhere while choosing for distance learning programs. What is necessary is the most convenience to a computer and a good speed Internet connection. You may find online schools that specialize in your particular field or one that can provide a great general education. Either way, your options for education will be greatly expanded.Money saving as no commuting: This program did not require regular classes, it saves time in commuting. It also saves money.Attend classes at your suitability. In distance learning, one need not to attend class exact time and place, so students can finished their classes at their own time and suitability.Get more knowledge. One more advantage is that more knowledge of computer and Internet skills that one gain in the process of distance learning experience can also be moved to other sides of life.Availability. Many people while taking traditional classes come across physical availability problem because of inadequate mobility issues. But through online classes overcome the problems and by using own comfortable furniture in the home. Thus an ambition to further education can be satisfied while enjoying free movement at home. For both slow and quick learners, options are available. This reduces stress and increases learners complete fulfillment.Learn while working. As distance learning can usually be completed on your own schedule, it is much easier to complete distance learning courses while working than more traditional educational programs. Keeping your job gives you more income, experience and stability while completing your degree giving you less to worry about and more time to focus on your studies.16

Benefits of Distance/Online Education

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REFERENCESBartley, S. & Golek, J. (2004). Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of Online and Face-to-Face Instruction. Educational Technology & Society, 7(4), 167-175.Duffy, J.P. (1997) College online: how to take college courses without leaving home. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Jung, I. (2003). Cost-Effectiveness of Online Education. In Moore, M. & Anderson, W. (Eds.) Handbook of Distance Education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp.717-726.Moskowitz, R. (1995) Wired U.. Internet World, October. Porter, L.R. (1997) Creating the virtual classroom: distance learning with the Internet. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Ryan, M. (1997) Education casts wide net. TechWeb News, October.

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