d instructions have been around for some time, and the perceptions of both faculty and students involved in these differing forms of distance learning have been researched. To provide context to the proposed study, the research on both faculty and student perceptions is here briefly reviewed.
Faculty Perceptions of Distance Education and Learning.
Yong and Wang (1996) conducted a survey of education faculty at Old Dominion University in Virginia in order to determine how they felt about using a one- or two-way video as part of the distance learning system. The authors found that, in general, faculty members liked distance education, believing that teaching on television afforded them both personal and professional growth.
It was also found that faculty members preferred a two-way to a one-way system which they felt lacked interactivity. In addition, findings indicated that most faculty members felt that they were insufficiently involved in policymaking and in integrating distance teaching into academic departments, and that the system was not going to improve greatly unless they were allow more input into decision-making about the process.
Similar findings were reported in a study of the perceptions of faculty involved in distance education in Canada. In this study conducted by Landstrom (1995), it was further determined that faculty felt there needed to be some type of training in strategies in course preparation and course management that address the concerns of instructors so that they are more effective in teaching distance education courses.
In another study of faculty perceptions, Billings (1994) surveyed 17 members of the nursing faculty teaching via videoteleconferencing. Findings of the study showed that faculty were very positive about television teaching.
Billings (1994) stated that faculty considered both the reception site and administrative support to be important. It was also noted that dis...