E-Learning and Distance Education in Higher Education: Organizational Implications

E-Learning & Distance Education in Higher Education: Organizational Implications

Mark Bullen

Overview

• Distance education in conventional universities: a clash of cultures.

• Managerial vs. collegial culture.• Creates organizational conflict.• Emergence of e-learning increases the

potential for conflict.

Overview

• At risk:– Quality and sustainability of e-learning. – Social mandate of distance education.

The E-learning Continuum

Three Types of E-learning

• E-learning as distance education.• E-learning as electronically-mediated

learning.• E-learning as facilitated transactions

software (Zemsky & Massy, 2004).

Three Types of E-learning

• Focus of this discussion on e-learning as distance education.

• To a lesser extent: mixed mode e-learning.

Academic Cultures

• The collegial culture– Autonomous faculty member.– Measurable outcomes, accountability

resisted.– Academic freedom - guiding principle.– Governance faculty-driven.– Institutional change is slow.

Academic Cultures

• The managerial culture – Work organized and directed toward

specific goals.– Evaluation and accountability highly

valued.– Fiscal responsibility, effective supervisory

skills given high priority.– Planning and management are key.

(Bergquist, 1992)

The Problem

• Effective e-learning requires a managed approach.

• Collegial culture dominates in universities.• Cultural clash.

– Academics: collegial– E-learning: managerial

• Potential for conflict.

Issues

• Managing faculty– Faculty come to e-learning from a collegial

culture but are expected to work according to managerial norms.

– Faculty resist “management”.• Academic freedom

– Fundamental principle of research universities.– Increasingly, it is being invoked to argue against a

managed approach to e-learning in which ownership of the materials created by a team of specialists resides with the institution.

Outcomes

• Organizational restructuring– Organizations will try to resolve the

conflict.– Restructuring in favor of the dominant

culture.– Loss of central support units.– E-learning development devolved to

Faculties.

Organizational Restructuring

• University of British Columbia example– Organizational restructuring.– Centralized distance education eliminated.– Reveals the power of the collegial culture.

Implications

• Quality and sustainability of e-learning at stake.– Economies of scale more difficult in

decentralized model.– Critical mass of professionals is lost.– Management needed for quality control.

• Social mandate of distance education at risk– Conventional universities serve “traditional

students”.– DE units have tended to be advocates for the

“non-traditional” learner.

Solutions

• Centralized e-learning support units must be strongly integrated with academic departments

• Academic freedom issue cannot be ignored• E-learning support departments must embrace

change– learn to adapt to the collegial culture without

sacrificing benefits of the managed approach

For Further Information

• [email protected]• http://www.bcit.ca/ltc• http://homepage.mac.com/markbullen/bcit