Assuring Quality Distance Learning Programmes: the Emergence of a New Faculty

To assure quality in distance learning programmes, a new type of university teacher must emerge. He or she must be energized and challenged by meeting the needs of expanding categories of learners who are coping with new definitions of a semester, utilizing alternative methods for gaining access to and sharing information, incorporating emerging technologies into teaching and learning processes, and adapting to an increased focus upon student performance. To reach these goals, university teachers must be provided with the necessary training, instructional assistance, and incentives to develop basic changes in their behaviour for which few models exist and little experience has been realized. This article outlines seven characteristics of a university teacher who is ready to meet the challenges that a distance learning network provides.