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Credibility challenges to online doctoral graduates seeking faculty positions: A community college perspective
Abstract
Credibility challenges to online doctoral graduates seeking faculty positions: A community college perspective
... Recent studies have shown the greater acceptance of online education. Guendoo (2007Guendoo ( , 2008, interviewed administrators of 145 community colleges in the United States and found that online courses were not an hinderance for getting a job (Guendoo, 2007;Guendoo, 2008). In a survey of 505 respondents from 56 member-institutions, it was found that the presentation of skills & experience and reputation of online school mattered the most while accepting online degree graduates for interviews (Nance, 2007). ...
... Recent studies have shown the greater acceptance of online education. Guendoo (2007Guendoo ( , 2008, interviewed administrators of 145 community colleges in the United States and found that online courses were not an hinderance for getting a job (Guendoo, 2007;Guendoo, 2008). In a survey of 505 respondents from 56 member-institutions, it was found that the presentation of skills & experience and reputation of online school mattered the most while accepting online degree graduates for interviews (Nance, 2007). ...
Through this literature review, it can be concluded that there have been many studies to assess the effectiveness of online education at several levels, and to assess the comparison between traditional and online education, and to assess the satisfaction of learners on learning, development of life skills, networking, etc. but there has not been a research which focused on employability or perception of online education for employability in Technology Industry. In spite of scholarly efforts, there remain serious gaps in the literature. The studies of hiring preferences of Technology industry employers in India is either very hard to find or do not exist at all. This study is an attempt to fill this big void in research on this topic.
Research Questions
How do employers of Technology Services Industry in India view online degrees (graduate, post-graduate or doctoral) as credentials for employment when hiring or for promoting employees?
Sub-questions
• How does employers of Technology Services Industry in India perceive the worth of online education degrees in comparison to conventional degrees?
• How does employers of Technology Services Industry in India compare degrees, earned in conventional (F2F) setup with degrees earned in online setup, for the hiring decisions?
• How does employers of Technology Services Industry in India compare degrees, earned in conventional (F2F) setup with degrees earned in online setup, for the promotion decisions?
• Which segment – large, medium, small or start-up companies – of Technology Services Industry in India is more willing and open to hiring candidates with credentials of online degrees?
• What steps can be taken to increase the acceptability of online degrees in hiring and promotion decisions?
These questions raise important issues for all stakeholders especially the employers who are aiming to bridge the deficit between supply and chain of technical skills. These research questions have been addressed in other industries but have not been addressed well, particularly with respect to evaluating the employer viewpoints of Technology industry employers in India. It is important to know how willing the gatekeepers in Technology industry are to hire online degree candidates as against traditional degree candidates.
... However, Seibold (2007) did find that the hybrid/blended degree, where the doctoral student has some face-to-face time as well as online, was more accepted than a completely online degree. Guendoo (2007) suggests that community colleges have a better outlook on hiring faculty with online doctoral degrees but that many online universities fail to provide an adequate level of mentorship and hands-on research preparation. With mentorship and research both key factors that appear absent in online degrees, the implementation of e-mentoring programs to replicate the face-to-face and hands-on experience has been suggested (Columbaro, 2009;Young & Harris, 2012). ...
... As an administrator in higher education and faculty member on hiring committees, a candidate with an online degree may not be the best choice for M1 or R institutions, especially if there are stringent research requirements in addition to teaching duties. Alongside Guendoo (2007), this research supports that candidates that obtain online or blended doctoral degrees may be a better fit for pursuing an academic position at a community college. ...
Although scholarship is important in higher education and faculty productivity expectations are continually increasing, we still do not understand the holistic view of faculty productivity. This study takes a different viewpoint on faculty productivity examining differences by university classification and by discipline. Most importantly, we sought to obtain the effects of the delivery mode of terminal degree on later faculty productivity. The mode of terminal degree via Internet delivery looks attractive to students, but this study found that this has implications for future research productivity. These three elements illustrate a different scope that has important implications for administrative leaders looking to hire future faculty as well as students thinking about becoming a future faculty member. To capture this view, 600 faculty members from 59 American universities were surveyed. From this survey, five different variables emerged to create an overall faculty scholarly productivity factor. This factor was then compared against university classification, discipline, and mode of terminal degree. Results showed surprising significant differences between university classifications and disciplines as compared to scholarly productivity. One of the most noteworthy findings was that there is a significant difference in faculty productivity based on the mode of terminal degree. Furthermore, no difference in later faculty scholarly productivity exists between that of a hybridized, online degree and a purely online degree. Again, these results indicate significant finds which have a high influence on faculty scholarly productivity, which holds important implications for the future of the university.
... The review revealed many aspects, issues, and concerns that summarized why the public did not find online degrees as acceptable as traditional ones. These aspects are accessibility to learning resources, quality of content, use of appropriate communication technology, teaching and learning processes, learning experience, human interaction, evaluation techniques, academic integrity, rigor, and mentoring (DeFleur & Adams, 2004;Carnevale, 2005;Adams & Defleur, 2006;Carnevale, 2007;Guendoo, 2007;Adams, Defleur & Heald, 2007;Adams & DeFleur, 2010). For the purpose of this study, these aspects were refined into two distinct domains that were most commonly mentioned as affecting the acceptability of online degrees; credibility and quality. ...
... A key element of credibility involves transparency, trustworthiness, and moral predictability (Budzowski, 2012). The areas of concern surrounding credibility of online degrees include rigor, mentoring, reputation of the university, accountability, assessment standards, and the challenges to the culture and traditions (Guendoo, 2007). Research indicated that reputation, for example, has a significant impact on the public's approval of a university degree (DeFleur & Adams, 2004;Carnevale, 2005;Adams & Defleur, 2006). ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the societal acceptance of degrees earned wholly online and to define the factors that affect the perceived value of these degrees in two Arab countries; Egypt and Oman. To achieve this purpose, a societal acceptance of online distance education degrees questionnaire was developed and administered online to a sample of 479 participants from different business sectors in Egypt and Oman. The responses to the rating scales and open-ended questions were organized, analyzed, and coded to address pattern of responses. Quantitative data and open-ended responses showed that the overall perception expressed by respondents was that online distance education was viewed as inferior to traditional education, and degrees earned online are not similar to ones earned in traditional settings in terms of credibility and quality. The ANOVA tests were used to analyze the differences among groups of participants and their acceptance of online degrees. Overall, responses indicated that no significant differences existed among participants. Many aspects of online degrees, such as interaction between students and the instructor, credibility with employers, admission regulations, and quality of learning outcomes have been criticized from many perspectives.
... The review revealed many aspects, issues , and concerns that summarized why the public did not find online degrees as acceptable as traditional ones. These aspects are accessibility to learning resources, quality of content, use of appropriate communication technology, teaching and learning processes, learning experience, human interaction, evaluation techniques, academic integrity, rigor, and mentoring (DeFleur & Adams, 2004; Carnevale, 2005; Adams & Defleur, 2006; Carnevale, 2007; Guendoo, 2007; Adams, Defleur & Heald, 2007; Adams & DeFleur, 2010). For the purpose of this study, these aspects were refined into two distinct domains that were most commonly mentioned as affecting the acceptability of online degrees; credibility and quality. ...
... A key element of credibility involves transparency, trustworthiness, and moral predictability (Budzowski, 2012). The areas of concern surrounding credibility of online degrees include rigor, mentoring, reputation of the university, accountability, assessment standards, and the challenges to the culture and traditions (Guendoo, 2007 ). Research indicated that reputation, for example, has a significant impact on the public's approval of a university degree (DeFleur & Adams, 2004; Carnevale, 2005; Adams & Defleur, 2006 ). ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the societal acceptance of degrees earned wholly online and to define the factors that affect the perceived value of these degrees in two Arab countries; Egypt and Oman. To achieve this purpose, a societal acceptance of online distance education degrees questionnaire was developed and administered online to a sample of 479 participants from different business sectors in Egypt and Oman. The responses to the rating scales and open-ended questions were organized, analyzed, and coded to address pattern of responses. Quantitative data and open-ended responses showed that the overall perception expressed by respondents was that online distance education was viewed as inferior to traditional education, and degrees earned online are not similar to ones earned in traditional settings in terms of credibility and quality. The ANOVA tests were used to analyze the differences among groups of participants and their acceptance of online degrees. Overall, responses indicated that no significant differences existed among participants. Many aspects of online degrees, such as interaction between students and the instructor, credibility with employers, admission regulations, and quality of learning outcomes have been criticized from many perspectives.
... Finally, the latest study by Guendoo (2007 found that community colleges were more receptive to online doctoral degree recipients than traditional, four-year degree universities. Employing the Delphi method, involved 52 administrators of the largest 145 community colleges in the United States and found that they did not view the online degree as a hindrance to a recipient's chances for employment. ...
... When examining the hiring in academia for tenured faculty positions, the studies found that traditional degrees were viewed more favorably then online degrees (Adams & DeFleur, 2006;Flowers & Baltzer, 2006). The exception in higher education appears in the hiring practices in community colleges, which displayed openness to online degrees of potential candidates and hires (Guendoo, 2007. ...
This literature review explores research regarding the perception of potential employers or "gatekeepers" about online degrees in comparison with those earned in a traditional format. This review contributes to the field of knowledge because higher education can benefit from understanding how these perceptions affect students' employment opportunities and, in turn, affect the institutions granting the online degree. In addition, research in this area potentially contributes to the field of knowledge by helping prospective students, as consumers of higher education, make informed choices about their degree attainment paths.
... Recent studies have shown the greater acceptance of online education. Guendoo (2007,2008), interviewed administrators of 145 community colleges in the United States and found that online courses were not an hinderance for getting a job (Guendoo, 2007;Guendoo, 2008). In a survey of 505 respondents from 56 member-institutions, it was found that the presentation of skills & experience and reputation of online school mattered the most while accepting online degree graduates for interviews (Nance, 2007). ...
India is the second largest market for e-learning, with a user base of ~9.5 billion users, after the US. The Government of India is targeting to achieve GER of 50% by year 2035 for higher education. As per industry report, the online education market will reach ~$8.6 billion by year 2026 and EdTech market will reach ~$3.5 billion by year 2022. The online higher education industry in India is expected to grow at 41% CAGR between 2016-2021 (IBEF, 2021). According to a survey in 2021, India's top five IT companies aim to recruit in large numbers to meet the increasing demand for talent that can work on projects remotely for customers looking to digitally transform their businesses. Technology giants like TCS & Infosys expects to employ >65,000 employees from campuses in 2021 (IBEF, 2021).
While on one hand, the demand of skilled talent is increasing, on the other hand the supply of such talent is seen getting augmented by online courses and degrees, this study focuses on determining whether supply of online degree holders from online education providers will be able to meet the demand for skilled talent in technology services in India?
The study will cover the companies in Technology Services Industry in India irrespective of whether they service the global market or not. The outcome of this study will be relevant to graduates, students, prospective students, and those who are looking for career advancement using online education as well as online education providers and institutions.
... Because many online universities failed to provide an adequate level of mentorship and hands-on research preparation, Guendoo (2007) harshly suggested that these online graduates may look to community colleges for their future career. With mentorship and scholarship both key factors that have been found lacking in online degrees, the implementation of e-mentoring programs to replicate the face-to-face and hands-on experience has been suggested as one possible method to enhance the graduate education experience and directly impact the academic profession (Columbaro, 2009;Young & Harris, 2012). ...
Students working toward a doctoral degree have traditionally been required to maintain a residency requirement and receive mentorship from an advisor. Over time, technological advancements have led to more students receiving mentorship through remote means such as e-mail and other electronic forms of communication. The role mentorship plays in developing doctoral students can be assumed to be important; however, little research examines what role mentorship might have on the long-term success of the student’s scholarly productivity later in his or her academic career. This study used a quantitative approach through an online survey to find whether faculty productivity was influenced by different mentorship factors. This study found that graduate students who are engaged with their mentor on multiple projects during their doctoral degrees are more likely to be productive faculty members and graduate students who communicate with their mentor more often were more likely to be productive scholars. This study also found that higher scholarly productivity was found with graduates who obtained a face-to-face terminal degree versus graduates who obtained a blended or fully online degree. The authors recommend that graduate student mentors should find ways to involve graduate students in meaningful and purposeful projects that have clear connections to facets of research in online formats. Findings are unique by examining faculty perceptions of mentorship during graduate training measured against current faculty productivity adding value to the research community by noting areas where graduate student mentors might be most likely to influence the long-term success of their advisees.
... A key element of credibility involves transparency, trustworthiness, and moral predictability (Budzowski, 2012, Jehad, Gregg, & Karimi, 2015. The areas of concern surrounding credibility of online degrees include rigor, mentoring, reputation of the university, accountability, assessment standards, and the challenges to the culture and traditions (Guendoo, 2007). Research indicated that reputation, for example, has a significant impact on the public's approval of a university degree (DeFleur & Adams, 2004; Carnevale, 2005;Adams & Defleur, 2006). ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the acceptance of degrees earned wholly online and to define the factors that affect the perceived value of these degrees in two Arab countries; Egypt and Oman. To achieve this purpose, a societal acceptance of online distance education degrees questionnaire was developed and administered online to a sample of 479 participants from different business sectors in Egypt and Oman. The responses to the rating scales and open-ended questions were organized, analyzed, and coded to address pattern of responses. Quantitative data and open-ended responses showed that the overall perception expressed by respondents was that online distance education was viewed as inferior to traditional education, and degrees earned online are not similar to ones earned in traditional settings in terms of credibility and quality. The ANOVA tests were used to analyze the differences among groups of participants and their acceptance of online degrees. Overall, responses indicated that no significant differences existed among participants. Many aspects of online degrees, such as interaction between students and the instructor, credibility with employers, admission regulations, and quality of learning outcomes have been criticized from many perspectives.
... conclusiones parecidas y demuestra que la muestra encuestada está menos predispuesta a contratar candidatos con un doctorado en línea para una posición académica de profesor universitario a tiempo completo, con perspectivas de estabilidad.En contraposición, estudios más recientes parecen demostrar una mayor aceptación de las titulaciones en línea.Guendoo (2007Guendoo ( , 2008 utiliza el método Delphi y entrevista a 52 administradores de las 145 community colleges más importantes de Estados Unidos para evidenciar que las titulaciones en línea no son un obstáculo para un candidato a obtener un puesto de trabajo. En este sentido Guendoo se atreve a pronosticar que «One can predict that the gap i ...
One of the cornerstones of the European Higher Education Area is its emphasis on a higher education that prepares graduates for a profession. Within this context, competencies play a key role in the design of degree courses because they constitute dynamic elements that enable higher education institutions to address the changing needs of society. In this setting, generic competencies become particularly relevant for the job market. Additionally, in recent years we have seen a significant increase in the number of online higher education options. Although there has been a lot of research into the effectiveness of e-learning, very few studies have actually looked into the employability potential of online graduates. This study analyses the impact that the online training methodology has on the employability potential of Business Management and Administration (BMA) graduates, and it does so from a two-fold perspective - that of online students and graduates themselves, and that of employers - by appraising the level of acquisition of generic competencies that are essential to the profile of the online BMA graduate. The findings show that online graduates have a positive appraisal of their education, which contrasts with their negative perception of how this training is appraised by the job market. On the other hand, business employers consider that, even though the competency level of online graduates may be lower in some of these competencies (teamwork, leadership) when compared to face-to-face students, it is similar in most of them and even higher in others (using ICT, searching for and managing information and time management, among others). These findings point to a shift in the way employers perceive online graduates and their ability to compete with face-to-face students.
... The quantitative findings further suggested that concerns such as accreditation, perceived interaction among peers and professor, quality, skills, and work experience were the most predominant reasons not to hire an online candidate. The study by Guendoo [22] involved 52 administrators of the largest 145 community colleges in the United States found that they did not view the online degree as a hindrance to a recipient " s chances for employment. It is important to note that almost all the respondents had experience with taking and/or teaching online courses. ...
Electronic learning is a type of education where the medium of instruction is information and communication technologies (ICT). e-learning can be defined as the application of information and communication technologies to core institutional functions such as administration, materials development and distribution, course delivery and tuition, and the provision of learner services such as advising, prior learning assessment and program planning.
e-learning can be either blended learning in which the technology is used to enhance the face-to-face teaching, or it can be purely online learning, that is, the delivery of courses completely through information and communication technologies.
This paper reports the different point of view about e-learning education in general and its credibility in particular. It demonstrates that one of the important factors of the e-learning credibility is the quality of assessment employed to measure how learners perceive the information. The paper recommends a way by which such assessments should be held to preserve the educational standards on one hand, and guarantee confidence in online learning, on the other.
... The quantitative findings further suggested that concerns such as accreditation, perceived interaction among peers and professor, quality, skills, and work experience were the most predominant reasons not to hire an online candidate. The study by Guendoo (2008) involved 52 administrators of the largest 145 community colleges in the United States found that they did not view the online degree as a hindrance to a recipient's chances for employment. It is important to note that almost all the respondents had experience with taking and/or teaching online courses. ...
Electronic learning is a type of education where the medium of instruction is information and communication technologies (ICT). e-learning can be defined as the application of information and communication technologies to core institutional functions such as administration, materials development and distribution, course delivery and tuition, and the provision of learner services such as advising, prior learning assessment and program planning.
e-learning can be either blended learning in which the technology is used to enhance the face-to-face teaching, or it can be purely online learning, that is, the delivery of courses completely through information and communication technologies.
This paper reports the different point of view about e-learning education in general and its credibility in particular. It demonstrates that one of the important factors of the e-learning credibility is the quality of assessment employed to measure how learners perceive the information. The paper recommends a way by which such assessments should be held to preserve the educational standards on one hand, and guarantee confidence in online learning, on the other.
The purpose of this paper is to speculate on the essential goals and characteristics of a doctorate in education that is designed to develop persons who are stewards of their field. As described by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, stewards are able to generate new knowledge, understand the intellectual history of the field, use the best ideas and practices in current work, and represent that knowledge to others both within and outside the field. This paper discusses the steward of education, and the role of doctoral programs in fostering stewards of education
The pressures of new agendas, new students and new degrees are challenging traditional pedagogical frameworks in doctoral education. This article draws on an ethnographic study that examined the changing nature of doctoral supervision and the pedagogic practices that support the doctoral endeavour in programs that explicitly link research with workplace practice. While supervisors and students struggled with uncertainty and confusion, partly due to disjunction in expectations, the creative tensions of doctoral research and the relatively new research territory of the programs, the study found that more flexible processes were emerging in doctoral education. This article examines the increasing move, through the use of research seminars, to more collective models of supervision and collaborative knowledge sharing environments. It is argued that this powerful pedagogic practice, which is often overlooked in the focus on the dyadic relationship of supervision, developed the research capacity of students and provided a forum for imaginative explorations about researching practice.
For more than a decade professional doctorates in Australia have continued to grow and diversify across a broadening array of disciplines. An empirical study of “The Doctoral Education Experience” in Australian universities included an examination of doctoral experiences in departments offering both PhD and professional doctorates. This paper discusses professional doctorates in education, management, law and the creative arts, remarking on similarities and differences found between PhD and professional doctorate programs, providing an insight into practice. Three specific areas are discussed. The first is the recruitment and selection of students, student choice of professional doctorates and perceived career benefits. The second area is the structure and organisation of PhD and professional doctorate programs, including the identification of the research topic. The third area is the perceived status of professional doctorates vis‐à‐vis the PhD. The findings are discussed within the context of government policy on postgraduate education and the emerging literature on professional doctorates. The concluding section of the paper considers the issue of differentiation between the doctorates and possible future developments. Within the context of Australian higher education the main difference could become the capacity to pay: attempts to impose fees in advance for professional doctorates are reinforced by recent government policy on student financing.
Concerns about the quality and value of doctoral studies continue to be expressed by various constituencies. Cohort mentoring and professional relevance have been identified as significant opportunities for modernising doctoral education. This case study responds to the need for doctoral reform by exploring the process and outcomes of mentoring on a self-formed educational leadership cohort, a grassroots organisation called the WIT (writers in training) cohort. Analysis of this innovation from the members' perspectives suggests that the cohort mentoring experience serves to enhance individual success and improve a particular graduate context. Results indicate that benefits were gained in three areas of professional growth: developing a sense of identity and belonging, support for learning and attaining dreams and experiencing a faculty-student support model.
Expert rather than general or informal opinion is often sought in the development of educational policy. Decisions to be made regarding best practice, the most effective way to deliver services, issues dealing with the professional development of teachers and the distribution of limited educational resources are examples which require critical thinking and reasoning. Regardless of the nature of the task, complex decision‐making is rarely left to the remit of one person and there is usually an assumption made that ‘two heads are better than one’. The organisational requirements of collecting, analysing, refining and validating critical information can be a long, arduous and often tedious process‐‐a process which can often be overlooked, resulting in ill‐defined, poorly conceived, biased and invalid determinations. The conventional Delphi procedure offers decision‐makers a user‐friendly, rigorous and systematic strategy in the collection and dissemination of critical information. This paper reviews the substantive literature relating to the Delphi procedure, provides a rationale for its use, describes the distinctive features, reviews key points of contention and provides an indication of both past and present uses
This article reports the results of a survey and analysis of the professional doctorates that have been developed in England over the last decade. Its aim is to identify the extent to which professional doctorates have been adopted by English universities, the rate of growth of professional doctorates programmes, and to clarify their distinctive features. By the end of the decade, professional doctorates could be found in the majority of the country's universities and in a wide range of subjects. The number of professional doctorates was still rising at a rapid rate. The article identifies 20 distinctive features that are common to the professional doctorates that together could reasonably be said to comprise 'professional doctorateness' at least as it is interpreted in English universities.
Frequently business, governmental agencies and organizations are faced with the problem of predicting or forecasting future events and relationships in order to make appropriate and reasonable plans or changes. Several methods exist for forecasting, one of which is called the Delphi technique. This approach has not been frequently used by Extension practitioners, but has potential as a tool for consensus building. The Tools for the Trade article provides an overview of the process and suggestions for implementation.
Considering the need for fiber optics, hardware, technicians, special staff development opportunities and ongoing maintenance, schools must invest far more in technology-enhanced courses than in "traditional" low-technology courses. Since learner achievement is not significantly different between high-tech and low-tech courses, why would higher education institutions fight so hard to secure funding for instructional technology? The answer comes directly from those whose lives are most affected by education: the learners. Learners demand more than a glorified correspondence course or a televised lecture hall, each of which is relatively inexpensive and easy to develop and deploy through existing technologies. This article focuses on the advantages and the necessity of infusing instructional technologies in higher education. The article: (a) explores the assumptions about teaching and learning with technologies, (b) identifies changes and reforms in higher education, from tradition to transformation, and (c) summarizes necessary components for successful transformational higher education-transparent and seamless student services, convenience, individualized instruction, high quality/best-in-class delivery and interactivity.
Mentoring is most often associated with direct personal contact between individuals. Computer-based learning, on the other hand, is more associated with the impersonal interaction between human and machine. Recent developments in online technology, however, have paved the way for more personal interactions between people via machines. This article reports on the experience of a university professor and her graduate students as they embarked on learning about the very personal domain of mentoring via face-to-face and online learning. The results in terms of student learning, professional practice and mentoring suggest the benefit of utilizing technology as a support and enhancement to direct personal interaction, not replace it.
With the ever-increasing role of technology as an innovative force in society, we have witnessed major changes in the types of education being developed and in how learning and instruction is conceptualised. Consider, for example, the dramatic rise in the number of Internet-based courses offered in higher education as well as the evolving role of the teacher as creator of learning environments. Accordingly, considering the possibilities and limitations of mentoring in this new and dynamic technological context is both timely and relevant. It is the nexus between mentorship and technology that is the subject of this first special issue of Mentoring & Tutoring.
This response to the theme issue, Research for Doctoral Students in Education, argues that the continua presented in the articles fail to legitimize practitioner research, that is, research done by school practitioners on site. Issues relating to differences in rigor, status, and purpose between practitioner and other research are discussed.
Distance education has grown rapidly in the United States in recent years. Both private‐ and public‐sector organizations have embraced the practice of reaching their clients, employees, and students at a distance via new technologies afforded them by the telecommunication and computer nexus. Distance education is grounded on technology, and its practice would be difficult, if not impossible, without it. However, reducing the idea to its technological foundations, and losing sight of its social science base has led to a conceptual confusion in the field. This article will illustrate the growth of distance education in the United States, describe the social science paradigm of distance education, demonstrate the empirical evidence of this paradigm, and analyze its ramifications for the field in general, as well as for students, educational organizations, and instructors.
In this paper I examine the impact of the new ‘knowledge economy’ on contemporary doctoral education. I argue that the knowledge economy promotes a view of knowledge and knowledge workers that fundamentally challenges the idea of a university as a community of autonomous scholars transmitting and adding to society's ‘stock of knowledge’. The paper examines and then dismisses the proposition that professional doctorates are the principal vehicle through which ‘working knowledge’ is incorporated into doctoral education. While professional doctorates may have been tactically useful for universities, there are broader transformations in doctoral education that transcend the professional doctorate/Ph.D. distinction. I argue that as doctoral education adopts the practices of ‘self’ pertinent to the knowledge economy, the ‘subject’ of doctoral education shifts from that of the ‘autonomous student’ to that of the ‘enterprising self’.
This paper reports on a Delphi Study undertaken at Dalhousie University in which a multi‐stakeholder panel was consulted in order to generate ideas that could be incorporated into an Implementation Plan for the University Environmental Policy (UEP). The objectives of the study were twofold. First, the study endeavored to develop ideas as to the most desirable and feasible ways in which to incorporate the UEP into the activities and structure of the university. Second, the study sought to assess the applicability of the Delphi Technique for consulting with stakeholders in the development of an implementation plan. The final analyses confirm the literature on the challenges, barriers and opportunities encountered for institutional environmental change in higher education. The study also confirms the findings of existing research that promotes the Delphi Technique as an excellent tool to inform the creation of educational and social policy. Specifically, this study illustrates the benefits of applying the Policy Delphi Technique to the development of an Environmental Policy Implementation Plan in higher education.
Although preparing doctoral students for completing their dissertations is challenging in an on-campus program, it is even more difficult in an Internet-based distance education curriculum. This article examines the problems encountered and the solutions developed to address this requirement over a recent five-year period at Regent University. It discusses the process used for identifying the competencies needed for completing a doctoral dissertation and for planning how these competencies are taught within an Internet-based doctoral curriculum. The article includes a discussion of the lessons learned thus far, data on the progress of current doctoral candidates, and suggestions for further investigations.
Doctoral education in the natural sciences has traditionally focused on training students as researchers. However, this is no longer sufficient to provide students with the range of skills needed to succeed in academic and non-academic employment. Based on a review of national studies and current literature, we recommend a shift from the current model, with its focus on dissertation research, to a broader conception of doctoral education that includes training and mentoring that will be relevant to future careers. We also highlight some of the national initiatives that have made progress in these areas. Doctoral education programs cannot remain static if they are to continue to create marketable graduates. Instead, partnerships should be formed with hiring institutions, so that doctoral programs can evolve in parallel with the dynamics of the job market.
This paper discusses the issues raised when delivering professional doctorate programmes to students at a distance. It explores the importance in doctoral study of engagement with a research community, what a "community of practice" might mean within the academic context and the problematic nature of working with students already operating within their own professional context and engaging with another community of practice—that of the researcher. It uses the example of a Doctor in Education (EdD) programme to explore the implications of using virtual learning environments to enable students at a distance to participate in the programme. It draws the conclusions that, far from being a new form of delivery, creating opportunities for students to engage with an academic community of practice requires tutors to use tried and tested pedagogical strategies in a new context. In doing so we use Moore's (1993, in Jung, British Journal of Educational Technology, 32(5), 525–534, 2001) concept of transactional distance to develop a new model of delivery, arguing that whilst dialogue needs to be increased, rather than loosening the structure, it is better achieved by tightening the structure to allow greater adaptability of content through careful moderation by tutors.
This paper argues that, apart from interactive activities, the perceptions of psychological presence that distance education students hold of their teachers, peer students, and the institution can be significant predictors of their learning. The "perception of presence" in this paper is defined as the degree to which a distance education student senses the availability of, and connectedness with, each party. This form of presence is designated here as "Transactional Presence" (TP). In this study, distance education student learning was assessed in the light of students' perceived learning achievement, satisfaction, and intent-to-persist. An analysis of student survey data indicates that a distance student's sense of institutional TP predicts all the selected measures to do with success in distance learning. While a sense of peer student TP is significantly related to satisfaction and intent-to-persist, the effect of teacher TP is found to relate only to student-perceived learning achievement. Implications of the TP construct are discussed with respect to the theory, research, and practice of distance education, along with recommendations for future research.
In this case study the authors investigated how doctoral students in a private distance education institution maintained a high level of persistence with a distant academic community and developed academic support during their second year of study. The construct developed by the authors to characterize this period is academic midlife, which describes those students who are between the completion of first-year tasks and the acceptance of a dissertation proposal. During the academic midlife stage, doctoral students are typically more isolated from faculty, the institution, and the virtual learning community. Three themes of mentor actions emerged, as perceived by the learners, that were related to learner persistence: (1) being responsive to learner needs and feelings, (2) offering reassurance that the academic program can be completed, and (3) showing respect for adult learner life situations and constraints.
Although distance education is growing in importance in the United States, little research has focused on the attitudes of American college and university teachers toward college‐level distance education and toward the use of specific media in distance education provision. The attitudes of both participating and nonparticipating faculty toward distance education need further examination, since teaching innovations cannot succeed without their support. This study examines the receptivity to college‐credit distance education of faculty members in two‐ and four‐year higher education institutions. The research questions focused on general receptivity to distance education, the relationship between professional characteristics and attitude toward distance education, the connection between previous distance education experiences/ familiarity and receptivity, and on attitudes toward different distance education media and methods.
The Quality Assurance Agency’s (QAA) qualifications framework has resulted in hives of benchmarking activity in 42 subject areas focussed on defining acceptable standards of performance exclusively for first degree awards. There appears to be little similar activity nationally around postgraduate awards. It has been suggested by QAA that, for the time being, awards at postgraduate levels should be benchmarked directly by reference to the outcomes contained within the qualifications framework for awards at levels M and D. This leaves something of a significant black hole in efforts to assure equity of standards across the postgraduate sector. Begins to address this situation by identifying the sort of thinking that has emerged from undergraduate benchmarking groups and applying it in the context of attempting to benchmark the standards of the PhD. Identifies and discusses issues emerging from this process and from associated national workshop activity. Concludes by indicating the questions to which clear answers should be sought if the PhD, as well as other postgraduate awards, are to be rigorously benchmarked.
Since the 1980s, the traditional research-based route to a PhD and the PhD by publication have been joined by practice-based doctorates, professional doctorates and recently by the new route PhD. The National Qualifications Framework was intended to provide points of reference for the setting, assessment and maintenance of standards at all levels of qualification. Qualification descriptors are intended to articulate the achievements and wider abilities which candidates at any level should be able to demonstrate. Examines the implications of the NQF for doctorates, and reviews the extent to which the various doctoral routes meet its requirements. Regulations, award processes and submission requirements frequently offer inadequate opportunities for candidates to demonstrate the NQF descriptors, and there is considerable divergence in practice as well as in title. There is a need for consistency, which could be achieved with the convergence of doctoral routes towards the new route PhD and the professional doctorate.
This report presents a critical analysis of the Delphi technique. The analysis is in four parts. First, the scope of the inquiry is defined, and issues pertinent to an evaluation of Delphi are raised. Second, conventional Delphi is evaluated against established professional standards for opinion questionnaires, and against associated scientific standards for experimentation with human subjects. Third, Delphi is evaluated with respect to its assumptions, principles, and methodology. Fourth, conclusions of the analysis are brought together and recommendations are made for the future use of Delphi.