The Casual Academic in University Distance Education: From Isolation to Integration – A Prescription for Change

Distance Education And Higher Education Reform In Australia

Distance education has been slowly evolving since the 18th century, beginning with correspondence study and evolving into the 21st century electronic forms that deliver education at a distance (Harting & Erthal, 2005). During this time, distance education was repositioned from an ‘alternative’ form of education for learners isolated from educational institutions to mainstream integration, due in part to the emergence of the Internet/Web, which has continued to change the way information is provided and the ways people interact with that information (Kearsley, 1998, p. 22). Technology and the growth of the Internet has been a key trend that has not only changed distance education but also changed the ways in which all universities now operate (Folkers, 2005; Yick, Patrick, & Costin, 2005; Wheeler, 2004). More than three quarters of all higher education providers now offer online courses and this is set to increase (Yick et al., 2005). Dual mode institutions, which teach both on-campus and distance students, are now the norm in Australia (Stacey & Visser, 2005).

The current main-streaming of distance education has also been, in part, driven by market forces over the last decade during which students demanded learning that is accessible and flexible. This new demand for convenience has been fuelled by adult learners requiring part-time learning; they represent the emergence of a new student population (Kearsley, 1998). Adult learners have a continued need for knowledge acquisition in order to keep skills up to date in a quest for greater job security, the result of which has been significant growth in the numbers of mature age students in universities. This trend also ensures adults have ongoing relationships with higher education as they seek lifelong learning throughout their careers (Folkers, 2005). As a result, a new type of university student has emerged: one that is older and typically studying part-time in order to incorporate full-time employment and/or families; the result being a demand for flexibility and convenience in their ongoing lifelong learning experiences (Folkers, 2005). Therefore, distance education’s real force lies in its flexibility in meeting the needs of 21^st century societies (Kearsley, 1998).