I was pleased to see the range of topics in the handbook, especially those pertaining to learners, design and instruction, and different audiences. My personal research interests center on the learner, and these three parts of the volume immediately called to me. As I thumbed through the table of contents, I was pleased to see names that I recognized. But, I was also excited to see names that I did not recognize–which means new things to explore and, ultimately, new learning.The Handbook of Distance Education was developed as an “authoritative compilation reflecting the state of the art” (p. ix) of distance education. Moore states in the preface that the purpose of the handbook is “to open up the imagination of readers” (p. ix) to the new possibilities available in distance learning. The handbook includes a wide spectrum of topics: an historical perspective, the learner, course design, management and policy issues, audience and economic issues, and it ends with an international perspective.This book was written by authorities in distance education for users and deliverers of distance education. Moore, in his overview, states that the compilation of this book was fueled by a desire to create a resource that would allow researchers to “know what is known” (p. xiii) in the field before embarking on new research or the design and delivery of new programs. Authors were asked to include the following in their chapters: (1) the current state of their special research area; (2) empirical research evidence available to support that knowledge; and (3) what further research is needed in the area (p. xiii).Moore stresses that the Handbook is not about using specific technologies but about “the consequences of separating learners and teachers” (p. xiii). And, one of the consequences is the need to use technology to deliver instruction. He stresses that distance education should not be identified with a specific communications technology and urges caution about technology because with each new technology there are associated pitfalls.This book contains 872 pages and includes an overview, preface, 55 chapters, and two indexes (author and subject). It is organized into seven parts.Chapters 1-6 focus on the history and theory of distance education. The impact of digital media on distance education is discussed in Chapter 7. A list of studies on new media research concludes the chapter, and the appendix, “Learning with New Media in Distance Education,” presents a timeline of digital media and the changes that subsequently took place in learning and teaching behaviors. In Chapter 8, Garrison, Anderson, and Archer present their framework for computer conferencing, and a model for “elements of an educational experience” (p. 116), which includes three types of presence: social, teaching, and cognitive. Technological, pedagogical, and organizational issues relating to CMC are also discussed. In Chapter 9, Terry Anderson discusses the value of interaction in distance education and presents six types of interaction associated with distance education: student-teacher, student-student, student-content, teacher-content, teacher-teacher, and contentcontent.These chapters focus on the learner and the multiple aspects that influence learning: context, student advising, computer-mediated instruction, facilitation, learning communities, cognitive and other learning factors, and gender issues. Gibson, in Chapter 10, discusses learners enrolled in distance education classes—individuals and learning communities. She urges us to expand our focus on the individual learner to include team training and learning organizations. Self-directed learning is the focus of Chapter 11, and Garrison discusses his SDL (self-directed learner) model, which includes self-management, self-monitoring, and motivation. Chapter 12 examines the “learner in context” and urges us to recognize and respond to learner differences and work with students to help them be successful. National and international advising practices in distance education degree programs are reviewed in Chapter 13. Winiecki, in Chapter 14, discusses synchronous and asynchronous online instructional discussions. Group development theory and the need for research in this area is the topic of Chapter 15. Dillon and Greene, in Chapter 16, suggest that researchers rethink the questions being asked about learner differences and that researchers ask questions about learner-instructor interaction. They also suggest that “effective learner-instructor interaction should be designed not only to help learners understand the content, but also to help them understand themselves as learners” (p. 243). Chapter 17 examines cognitive and learning factors associated with Web-based and computer-mediated learning. Hannafin, Hill, Oliver, Glazer, and Sharma conclude the chapter by proposing a framework for Web-based learning environment research. The final chapter in this section discusses gender equity and suggests that “many of the equity issues present in campus courses are also, if in somewhat differing forms, still present online” (p. 271).Shearer, in Chapter 19, briefly discusses four design factors—learner autonomy/learner control, interaction, access, and costs/economies of scale—and takes a look at some technologies used in the past, ending with the Internet and the World Wide Web. He stresses that designers should “understand the strengths and weaknesses of a vast array of technologies” and use the one that best fits the instructional situation. Online text and the importance of purpose, structure, and interactivity in relation to effectively creating and using hypertext in online and Web-supplemented courses is discussed in Chapter 20. Chapter 21 presents a corporate view of e-learning and knowledge management issues. Chapter 22 examines video and learning from four perspectives: cognitive, historical, computer era, and Internet platform. Wisher and Curnow remind us that “the medium is only as good as the design of the instructional message it conveys” (p. 328). Chapter 23 provides a “set of frameworks from which to reflect e-learning practices and opportunities” (p. 331). Several of the tables in this chapter include great ideas for online learning activities. Naidu, in Chapter 24, discusses five pedagogical approaches for designing student centered learning. Hall, Watkins, and Eller present their seven-component framework for design of Web-based learning environments in Chapter 25. Chapter 26 presents the role library services play in distance learning and the demand on libraries as distance education grows. And, Chapter 27 discusses the distance learner, the distance teacher, and the change associated with the “new conception” of distance learning.The chapters included in this section present public, institutional, and state and national policy issues. The issues explored are: accreditation, quality assurance, intellectual property, distance education policy, leadership, change related to current instructional and faculty management styles, and program evaluation. Pacey and Keough in Chapter 28 argue that, as distance learning practitioners, we need to be aware of the “complexity of the environment in which the field of distance learning exists” (p. 401). To this end, their chapter presents a public policy model and examples of the process. Chapter 29 focuses on distance education policy issues and presents seven policy categories along with examples. Accreditation and quality control are examined in Chapter 30 and 31 respectively. Chapter 32 focuses on the issues involved and how policy can be guided by the kind of questions one asks. The complex issue of copyright and fair use in distance education is discussed in Chapter 33. This chapter is a must for everyone. Chapter 34 examines the importance of strategic planning and calls for proactive change from institutions. Table 34.1, Change Creation and Change Management, shows a comparison of proactive and reactive change (p. 509). Beaudoin discusses leadership in Chapter 35 and states that “the changing context of education and the aggressive encroachment into this domain by the powerful forces of digital commerce” make it imperative that hard questions are asked. Chapter 36 examines the complex set of issues surrounding network organizations, and how they can impact distance education. Wolcott discusses faculty participation in distance education in Chapter 37 and states that to “realize the promise of distance education, we must understand faculty motivation, and that means understanding the culture in which faculty work” (p. 564). The final chapter in this section deals with evaluation and advocates doing “evaluation right” and “asking the right questions and then using the answers appropriately” (p. 569). This may be the ultimate challenge.This section contains chapters about corporations and continuing professional education, the armed forces, community colleges, and distance education for children. The first two chapters of this section examine corporations and their involvement with distance education as consumers and suppliers of distance education. Chapter 41 explores continuing professional education: its use and the motivation and deterrents for participation. Chapters 42-44 describe how the armed forces are utilizing distance education to meet their respective needs. Chapter 45 examines the relationship between community colleges and distance education. K-12 schools and their transition from independent study to virtual learning are examined in Chapter 46.The three chapters in this section investigate cost effectiveness with regard to distance education and online delivery. In Chapter 47, Rumble discusses a cost model as well as the problems associated with it and the factors affecting costs in a distance learning system, such as technology choice, the curriculum, number of learners, and organizational structures in place. Chapter 48 examines the costeffectiveness of online education, and Chapter 49 compares online costs with costs of established delivery methods.The final section of the Handbook focuses on the direction of the field for the future and its role in the global community. In Chapter 50, Mason discusses the design and delivery of global education and suggests two issues associated with online course delivery for further research: (1) student readiness, and (2) cultural differences in the online classroom. Chapter 51 “examines the significance of culture and its impact on communication and the teaching and learning process in online courses and programs” (p. 753). An environmental-based architecture for online course design, AMOEBA (Fig. 51.2, p. 769), is also presented. Evans and Nation suggest in Chapter 52 “rethinking the theory and practice of distance education in relation to the resurgence of constructivist theory and the development of Internet-based educational strategies” (p. 777). They urge distance educators to reconsider and reformulate where necessary the components that are known to be important to the theory and practice of distance education such as interaction, students’ contexts, and active engagement in light of the virtual world now available to us. In Chapter 53, Visser asks us to think deeply on the following question, “How can distance education contribute to improving the ecological coherence of the learning environment so that it will allow meaningful learning to evolve in response to the crucial global issues and concerns that mark the beginning of the third millennium?” (p. 805). He suggests that, to answer this question, the field must be reinvented. Open distance learning providers or mega-universities are discussed in Chapter 54. Daniel and Mackintosh believe that mega-universities are the “most significant innovation in higher education of the 20th century” and that the mega-university may be “an important model for the university of the future” (p. 811). The final chapter of the handbook examines a World Bank initiative, the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), a “work in progress” that will benefit many.As a researcher and online instructor, this book is a welcome addition to my bookshelf. I found that no matter where I opened the book I soon became engrossed. Newcomers to the field will find it useful. The overview of the research included in each chapter makes this text a perfect place to start when embarking on a new research project. But what I like best is that even as each chapter provides readers with relevant information about a topic, it also challenges them to move beyond the present body of knowledge to the future and what may be possible with new technologies and distance education's current level of popularity.
Sue Mahoney (Wed,) studied this question.