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. . Main
Points
Distance
education is a complex system of interacting parts Distance
education is a long-term venture, which usually requires
a substantial start-up capital but will pay off in the
long term Time
is an inescapable reality in distance teaching and learning Distance
education systems are complex but not complicated. There is a tendency
to reduce the practice of distance teaching and learning to a single
concept, such as selection of a delivery system, faculty training,
or production of instructional materials. Successful practitioners,
however, have learned over time that single variable fixes would
not work, and would eventually lead to failure. Like
other complex systems, several elements have to be present for the
practice to succeed. Very often, these elements, such as trained
faculty, equipment and facilities, and a number of other necessities
require a heavy up front investment. Ironically, this is realized
when most organizations adopt the practice to save money. Thus,
distance education is a long-term venture, which usually requires
a substantial start-up capital but will pay off in the long term.
Short-term gains are usually very few, and managers should be very
careful about giving too many promises to stakeholders and policy
makers for realization of results in the short run. Complex
Systems Successful
practitioners know distance education is a system of interacting
parts. Like the human body, in distance education no one organ can
work by itself, and all organs depend on each other for sustenance.
Furthermore, several vital organs must be present at the same time
for the system to function properly. A mistake made by many new
comers to the field is selecting one vital organ and trying to make
the venture work based on investing in that one component. For example,
faculty development, or placing course materials on the web are
two strategies selected by many decision-makers in starting a new
practice. Both elements are undoubtedly necessary, but they are
not sufficient for a successful operation. Complex
Systems as Hierarchies Complex
systems are hierarchical (Ahl, & Allen, 1996). One level of
complexity cannot be entirely explained within its own boundaries.
At times a "higher" level is needed to reveal the "order" of the
one subsumed by it; however "chaotic" it may look. The "chaos" of
potentially unlimited variables interacting with each other at one
level of system complexity can only be explained in "patterns" of
behavior only observable at a "higher" level of the component. This
hierarchy in distance education became evident to me in the early
1970's as Dr. Gus Root, professor emeritus, Syracuse University,
and I were engaged in designing an organizational model for a nationwide
educational radio and television network. (Saba, & Root, 1976).
While trying to understand the myriad factors involved in the complexity
of a nationwide distance education system, we developed the following
hierarchy. Although it is almost 25 years old, it is more pertinent
in today's environment than that of the early 1970's. Each
of these system levels and their interaction manifested themselves
in our analysis for designing a new distance education system. Each
of these system levels are complex in an of themselves, and their
combination creates a complexity, which should be addressed by tools
of inquiry such as, System Dynamics, that can shed light on the
situation at hand. Complex
Systems are Dynamic Time
is an inescapable reality, and should be taken into consideration
in the management of any venture, including distance teaching and
learning. Complex systems that survive and thrive evolve as their
environment change. This dynamic characteristic of distance education
systems is an important element in managing them. References Ahl,
V., & Allen, T. F. H. (1996). Hierarchy theory: A vision, vocabulary,
and epistemology. NY: Columbia University Press. Saba,
F., & Root G. (1976). Educational television: A new frontier.
Paper presented at the International Conference on Cybernetics and
Society, IEEE. Washington, D. C. . |
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