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Instructional Delivery Rationale for an On and Off-Campus Graduate Education Program Using Distance Education Technology Kathryne A. Newton, Mathias J. Sutton, and Duane D. Dunlap Purdue University

Purdue University’s School of Technology (SOT) began offering its M.S. in Technology degree program for off-campus professionals in an on-campus weekend plus distance education format in the fall of 1998. Creating the new program required a reexamination of what was most important in teaching technological content at the graduate level. Of particular concern was the instructional delivery strategy for implementing the program. The strategy provides students with a 30-credit-hour program completed in four, 15-week semesters and one summer session. Each semester, students attend three extended weekend sessions, featuring face-to-face instruction and live peer interaction. This is complemented throughout the semester with distance education in a variety of forms including WebCT, listserve announcements, e-mail, audio files, facsimile, and telephone. The summer semester requires one extended weekend on campus.

Graduate Education at a Distance

With the capability and affordability of today’s personal computers and related peripherals, distance education is becoming more popular across the country. “Formally defined, distance education is a form of education characterized by: physical separation of learners from the teacher, with limited access to the teacher and other learners; an organized instructional program; technological media, and two-way communication” 1. Many universities are modifying existing on-campus courses that use the Internet as an instructional delivery tool. More and more universities are offering courses (undergraduate and graduate, alike) that students can take completely via the Internet with no live, face-to-face component.

Is a completely distant approach appropriate for a graduate degree in technology? We assert that in order to maintain the quality and integrity of a Master of Science degree in technology, it cannot be based completely on distance education; it must include a significant portion of on- campus meetings with professors and peers. Our assertion evolved based on the preferences and experience of our faculty relating to the needs of the students, our experience with traditional graduate students, and the graduate curriculum and specific course content. In addition, we conducted a more formal analysis of learner characteristics, the program’s learning context, and the learners’ tasks within the program.

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Sutton, M. J., & Newton, K. A., & Dunlap, D. D. (2000, June), Instructional Delivery Rationale For An On And Off Campus Graduate Education Program Using Distance Education Technology Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8465