NACADA Standards for Advising Distance Learners
DEFINITION
Education
offered via distance education provides greater flexibility to
individualized learning. A primary goal of distance education
is to provide an environment in which learning occurs at the time,
location, and pace of the individual learner. Distance education
provides an alternative delivery and ready access to educational
offerings and necessary support services.
Distance Education includes
students enrolling in:
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Programs or degrees
from a single institution in which some or all of the instruction
is offered via distance education.
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Programs or degrees
from a consortium in which some or all of the instruction
is offered via distance education.
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A course/courses
offered from an institution via distance education.
MISSION
Providers
of Distance Education must offer a minimum set of core services
which assist distance learners in identifying and achieving their
education goals.
TECHNOLOGY
Technologies
used for distance learning:
Telephone
Videotape
Fax
Broadcast television
Microwave
Satellite
Interactive video
Audio-tapes
Audio-conferencing
CD-ROM
Computer networking
E-mail
Internet (www)
collaborative
software
Blogs
Wikies
STANDARDS
The following standards
have been developed to address many of the categories as identified
in the established Academic
Advising CAS Standards. These standards have been divided
into three categories: institutional standards, standards related
to faculty as advisors and/or professional advisors, and standards
that apply to students.
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Provide leadership and
an organizational structure that integrates and coordinates
activities that support distance learning for faculty, advisors
and students.
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Truth in advertising:
Recruitment and admissions promotions must accurately represent
the program and services available.
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The institution must
be committed to the concept of distance education by providing
on-going technical as well as financial support for a period
sufficient to enable students to complete a degree or certificate.
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The institution has
an obligation to work toward providing the same student services
to distance learners as they do for students on campus plus
any additional that are appropriate to support their learning.
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The institution’s
environment for distance learners must strive to provide a sense
of connection and community with the institution and with other
distance learners.
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The institutional philosophy
of a distance learning support services program must be to strive
to respond to learner needs rather than the learner adjusting
to an institution’s established organizational structure
with the principal goal being to provide “individualized
guidance” so learners may become more effective in dealing
with concerns that influence their pursuit of personal learning
goals at a distance and at the time and delivery mode preferred
by the learner.
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Continuous evaluation
– application of TQM principles: It is an institutional
responsibility to evaluate the program’s educational effectiveness,
assess student learning outcomes, analyze student retention
and measure the level of student faculty satisfaction.
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Institute an orientation
course, i.e. DL 101 “What it takes to be a distance
learner.”
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Proper assessment must
be conducted to ensure students have the required backgrounds,
knowledge and technical skills needed to undertake the program.
FACULTY
AS ADVISORS AND/OR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS
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A distance education
program must provide for appropriate real time or delayed interaction
between faculty, advisors and students, AND among students.
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The program provides
faculty and advisors to support and assist students in making
informed choices about career and academic goals; self assessment;
decision making; and evaluation of academic career options.
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The program provides
faculty and advisors with the support to orient students to
the distance learning environment.
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The institution needs
to provide an environment in which faculty as advisors, as well
as professional advisors, can work toward achieving the following
competencies needed to be an advisor of distance learners. (Thach
and Murphy, 1995)
Advising
and counseling
Planning and organization
Interpersonal communications
Writing
Feedback
Presentation skills
Collaboration/teamwork
Learner needs assessment
Questioning
Learning style and theory
Distance learning theory
Customer support services
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Advise on the level that the student needs and
wants. Multiple systems and/or policies may be required.
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The program provides
workshops and/or training as required for students enrolled
in courses/programs in the use of distance education technologies.
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The program provides
access to the appropriate learning resources as required of
distance learning students, i.e. basic skills, course tutorials,
disability support, library, etc.
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In order for students
to be able to function effectively and achieve academically,
they need to be provided with accurate information on the assumptions
about the technical competence and skill level required as well
as the actual technical equipment requirements needed to participate.
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The program provides students with accurate
and timely information and an internal distance learner network
that connects all processes required of the distance learner
providing them with one point of contact for:
Admissions
Registration
Degree audit
Course requirements
Financial aid
Costs and payment policies
Curriculum
Nature of student/faculty interaction
Cite
the above resource using APA style as:
NACADA.
(1999). NACADA Standards for Advising Distance Learners. Retrieved
-insert today's date- from the NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic
Advising Resources Web site: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/Research_Related/distance.htm
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