A Case Study of Distance Education: A University Instructor's Experience

Abstract

This thesis is a case study of one instructor's experience teaching a satellite-delivered university course. The work addresses a need to learn more about the instructor of distance education courses. There exists a gap in the knowledge about instructors of Distance Education courses. Rather than focus on a group of instructors and try to uncover generalizations, this study takes an in-depth look at all aspects identified by a single instructor. Through a series of interviews during the course of one semester, one instructor details her experiences teaching a satellite-delivered agriculture course for the first time. Events, issues and challenges were outlined and explored. It is with a new appreciation of distance educators' job and experience that this study is placed before the reader. Some of the issues raised are effect of design on the instructor, the instructor's need to interact with students, support for instructors of Distance Education courses, and training of the Distance Education instructor.