ERIC Number: EJ877582
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1849
EISSN: N/A
Interactive Online Distance Learning at the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu
Lee, Rebecca
Educational Perspectives, v35 n1 p20-23 Spr 2002
From its beginnings 25 years ago, the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu (UH-West O'ahu) has strived to provide its students, mostly working adults with an average age of 32 years, with easy access to classes and advising by maintaining flexible class schedules and office hours. When UH-West O'ahu initiated a distance education program in 1981, the first courses were delivered in person to students on Maui and Kaua'i, with faculty traveling to those islands on weekends. The result was a program that encouraged collaborative student work and allowed students extensive contact with faculty. In this article, the author presents an insider's view of the challenges facing faculty at West O'ahu, in their efforts to create a new online degree and new certificate programs. The perseverance of the faculty and the support of the West O'ahu administration have been central to their success. The institutional commitment has been considerable and faculty members receive three credits of release time, or the equivalent in overload pay, when they develop an online course for the first time. In addition, West O'ahu's collaborative faculty development model has resulted in an environment where faculty share their experiences with one another in special workshops on various pedagogical aspects of online learning. (Contains 1 footnote.)
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, Distance Education, Online Courses, Workshops, Faculty Development, Adult Students, Teacher Collaboration, Writing Instruction, Incentives, Technology Integration, Web Based Instruction, Instructional Design, Computer Mediated Communication, Asynchronous Communication, Program Development, College Administration, Access to Education, College Instruction, College Faculty, Faculty College Relationship, College Environment, Program Descriptions, Compensation (Remuneration), Multimedia Instruction, Integrated Learning Systems, Synchronous Communication, Discussion Groups, School Orientation
College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Wist Annex 2 Room 131, 1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822. Tel: 808-956-8002; e-mail: coe@hawaii.edu; Web site: http://www.coe.hawaii.edu/research/ep
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hawaii
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A