excerpts

Appendix III:

Excerpts from Guiding Principles for Distance Learning in a Learning Society

Issued by the American Council on Education, Washington, D.C., 1996.

Core Values

These principles assume that the practice of distance learning contributes to the larger social mission of education and training in a democratic society. With that in mind, the principles reflect the following tenets and values:

Learning is a lifelong process, important to successful participation in the social, cultural, civic, and economic life of a democratic society.
Lifelong learning involves the development of a range of learning skills and behaviors that should be explicit outcomes of learning activities.
The diversity of learners, learning needs, learning contexts, and modes of learning must be recognized if the learning activities are to achieve their goals.
All members of a society have the right to access learning opportunities that provide the means for effective participation in society.
Participation in a learning society involves both rights and responsibilities for learners, providers, and those charged with the oversight of learning.
Because learning is social and sensitive to context, learning experiences should support interaction and the development of learning communities, whether social, public, or professional.
The development of a learning society may require significant changes in the roles, responsibilities, and activities of provider organizations and personnel as well as of the learners themselves.

Principles

A. Distance learning activities are designed to fit the specific context of learning: the nature of the subject matter; intended learning outcomes; needs and goals of the learner; the learner's environment; and the instructional technologies and methods....

B. Distance Learning opportunities are effectively supported for learners through fully accessible modes of delivery and resources....

C. Distance learning initiatives must be backed by an organizational commitment to quality and effectiveness in all aspects of the learning environment....

D. Distance education programs organize learning activities around demonstrable learning outcomes, assist the learner to achieve these outcomes, and assess learner progress by reference to these outcomes....

E. The provider has a plan and infrastructure for using technology that support its learning goals and activities.

Table of Contents