Upload
gordon-kaywin
View
283
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
This presentation was given during spring 2012 graduate semester at USC, and looks at the relationship between leadership and distance learning.
Citation preview
A L L I A N CE
- Deena Betcher, Gordon Kaywin, Heymi Park, Tara Wang, Emily Weissman -
A Study of Leadership And Distance Learning
Why Distance Learning?
• Distance learning has become a key component of undergraduate and graduate educational institutions due to:
Worldwide adoption of the InternetAdvances in communication
technologiesAdditional revenue
Essential Technology
• Distance learning programs are dependent on various kinds of technology:
Personal Computer High-speed Internet Connection Email Discussion Boards Video (streaming, recorded)
Google+ Hangouts
Video Technology
Hypothesis
H1: The ease of use of technology by students and leaders allows students to be more satisfied with their distance learning experience.
H2: Leaders achieve student satisfaction in virtual teams through effective communication. Effective communication is defined by instructor responsiveness, and establishing clear expectations.
What has already been done and what does the research say?
• Technology
According to a 2010 Pew Internet Project survey, “when it comes to home broadband access, 95 % of undergraduate, and 93% of graduate students surveyed are home broadband users—well above the national adult average of 66%.
The overall percentage of broadband and wireless users is highest among undergraduate and graduate students (Pew Internet Project, 2010).
• Satisfaction
Group climate and cohesion is of the utmost importance to ensure the successful outcome of a group’s goal.
Trust must also be developed quickly in online communities, while eliminating feelings of isolation, which can, in turn, cause social loafing and groupthink elements.
All of these elements can all affect the social climate of a virtual group.
What has already been done and what does the research say?
• Leadership Functions
Task Focused Leadership: Help virtual team members perform the tasks by clarifying role/responsibility, and establishing protocols of decision making/meeting procedure (Rayner,1997).
Interpersonal Oriented Leadership: Creating ways to build “shared identity” (Hinds & Mortesen, 2005, p. 290), and to maintain the “group interaction” (Baker, 2004, p. 1), which helps the members of the distributed teams to stay connected to each other.
What has already been done and what does the research say?
• Instructors can foster participation in an online environment through effective communication
• Students exhibit similar expectations, but different learning styles in an online vs. traditional setting
• Empowerment is important: everyone on a team should have a piece of the leadership, and every team member needs leadership skills in order to function
What has already been done and what does the research say?
Methods
a. Survey of students on the following variables:
Leadership Communication (independent)Education Technology (independent)Satisfaction (dependent)
b. Survey based on:
Distance Education Learning Environment Survey (DELES)
Student Educational Technology Survey
Methods Continued
Participants
Results
Reliability of Survey Scales
Results ContinuedOverall Rating of Variables
Ratings by Student Type
Correlation
Correlation Between Variables
Interviews
• Procedure:
15 questions Interviewed casually: Kurt Palmer
(Engineering) Kim Stephens (CMGT)
Recorded audio
Results: Kim Stephens
• Class climate Very Cohesive Student/Professor Bond - Building
relationships
• Disadvantage Emotions run high.
• Advantage Get to know students better.
Results: Kim Stephens• Special Tactics:
Clear Communication:
Email compulsively
Assignments well defined & reinforced
Technology:
Knowing and integrating technology -
Moodle, blackboard, Web cams, chat
box, Skype
Technology Support/Frustration
Misunderstanding in emails
Results: Kim Stephens
• Professor Stephens Leadership
Style:
Interpersonal-oriented
Results: Kurt Palmer
• Class climate Low interaction and cohesiveness
• Disadvantage Passive participation Time zone issue
• Advantage A variety of technology options
Results: Kurt Palmer • Special Tactics:
Clear Communication:Clarifying role/responsibilityEstablishing protocols
Technology:Knowing and adopting technology
quicklyIntroducing technology clearly in
the beginningSetting a stable learning
environment
Results: Kurt Palmer
• Professor Palmer’s leadership style:
Task-focused
Overview
• Differences between professors & programs
Importance of communication, relationships, empowerment.
• Common themes
MentoringStudents must want to be mentored,
proactive.
Comparison: Palmer & Stephens
Implications: The Professor
• “Correct, the answer to every social-scientific question is ‘it depends’.” – Professor Shipley
• Is communication important after all?
• Emphasize what students find important (i.e. CMGT value leadership over engineers)
Implications: For The Student
• Can’t be forced into a mentoring relationship, you have to be proactive
• Some validation for the hundreds of thousands of dollars schools are paying to improve the quality and efficiency of their distance learning technology
Limitations: The Study
• Small sample size (21 total respondents)
• Only USC grad students
• Only one section of the two different
majors
• Two very disparate majors (what if you
compared a COMM and CMGT program?)
• Two majors used different technological
platforms
Areas For: Future Research
• Expand study so it includes many different majors = more general implications can be drawn
• Survey students at different schools, even different countries where cultures are different
• What about partial online students?
• Would we have gotten different results if we had asked about the two independent variables separately ?
Conclusion
• Emotional Intelligence
• Hersey and Blanchard’s Scale • Balance between transformational and
transactional leadership
• Leaders need to be adaptive
Thank You So Much For Your Time
A L L I A N C E
QUESTIONS?