Does Vision Play a Leadership Role in Distance Education? Essay Example

Visions according to Kouzes and Posner (2003) are about hopes, dreams, and aspirations. They are about our strong desire to achieve something great…Visions necessarily stretch us to imagine exciting possibilities, breakthrough technologies, or revolutionary social change (Kouzes &Posner, 2003).

Kouzes and Posner (2003), however , points out that there are 5 practices that exemplary leaders with visions must show, to accomplish something great, and they are  (a), they challenge the process, (b) they inspire a shared vision, (c), they enable others to act, (d) model the way and (e) encourage the heart.

In terms of inspiring a shared vision, these leaders according to Bowling State University (2003) adapting from Kouzes and Posner (2003), they  have to envision the future, enlist the support of others, make others in the organization develop the human energy to become possibility thinkers, communicate the big picture to fill the thinking gap, and ensure others see the vision as unique and ideal image of the shared future expressed the organizational standards and values buy continuously communicating effectively at every stage of the work process.

According to Siegrist (2009), if leadership is vital to schools, preparation of their leaders is very serious indeed, and graduate programs must move beyond the training of efficient managers to the preparation of visionary, moral and transformational leaders. Siegrist (2009) went further by pointing out what role visions should play when educators are developing new programs and revisiting old ones. These leaders are morally obligated to carefully investigate the knowledge base on which build the curriculum and delivery systems, rather that overlaying behavioral and structural models that are not synchronous with real life issue and current trends and challenges (Siegrist, 2009).

The rapid growth of online education worldwide, according to Beldarrain (2006), has prompted the need to revise delivery structure and re-think pedagogical practices that are appropriate. Vision of where educational institutions desire to be in terms of creating learning communities that parallels or even exceed the normal classroom disposition, is critical in the face of emerging new technologies and advances made by reputable teaching institutions (Beldarrain, 2006).

The teachers at Open Access College seem to have embraced the 5 practices of exemplary leadership postulated by Kouzes and Posner (2003), especially those of challenging the process, enabling others, and inspiring a shared vision. They had conducted a research into desktop videoconferencing in 1994, and found that the delivery methodology could be used successfully to improve the quality of interactions between students and teachers, as well as the quality of learning concepts and processes that are difficult to teach in the non-visual mode of distance education, according to Edmonds (1996).

Previously according to Edmonds (1996), the teaching curriculum for distance education to the students involve contacts with teachers by telephone or HF radio once per week, for the posting of written work for marking and receiving comments. Turnaround time according to Edmonds (1996), consumed as much as 2-4 weeks, and by the end of the year teachers were only able to have a maximum of only two face to face meetings.

The research revealed that the learning experience of geographically disadvantaged and medically disabled students were enhanced, there were increases in the effectiveness of the lesson materials delivered, the medium had provided excellent opportunities for sharing visual concepts and getting immediate responses, the levels of interactivity rose appreciably and most importantly the technology can be successfully replicated in other institutions (Edmonds, 1996).

Auburn University vision statement implies that the institution have a historic commitment of service to all Alabamian as the State become part of the global society, with all its challenges and opportunities (Auburn University, 2011).

Base on the vision statement and the  mission statement, which declare that the institution will provide traditional and non-traditional broad student access to its educational resources, Auburn University declare unequivocally that it has been empowered to delivered educational programs on campus and beyond, drawing heavily on new instructional and outreach technologies available in the emerging information age (Auburn University, 2011).

According to Ferrat & Hall (2009), our vision of distance learning or learning via virtually being there, challenges educators and technology to go beyond the dominant distance education vision of learning through isolation. They further advocated that visions must build on the best of technology that enhance the classrooms and distant education, as well as amplify interactions using voice and video (Ferrat &Hall, 2009).

Learning materials according to Ferrat &Hall (2009), should be well prepared in advance and spontaneous, be scheduled and unscheduled, text based and enriched with sounds and images.

Conclusions

Visions therefore play vital roles in distance education, based on the literature expounded, the testimonies and research work done in institutions in this the 21^st Century. It drive desires to challenge and bring changes to present delivery modalities across educational institutions globally and nationally, so that hopes, dreams and aspirations can become realities, and allows geographically disadvantaged and medically disable students, even as far as the Australian Outback, can interact with their tutors in the United States, using the best available technologies to maximize their learning and be able to graduate with excellent grades.

Vision is the most critical conceptual tool in organizations to encourage the heart and achieve shared visions through continuous effective communications, regarding the big picture of what can be achieved using the highest standards and values.

Reference

Auburn University, (2011). Distance Education Standards and Guidelines www.auburn.edu/outreach/dl/files/pdf/distance_education_standards_guidelines.pdf , 1/27/11

Beldarran, Y. (2006). Distance Education Trends: Integrating New Technologies to foster Student Integration and Collaboration Distance Education August 2006 Vol.27 No.2 pp.139-153 www.dastous.us/edtechadvocate/2.pdf , 11/27/11

Bowling Green State University (2011). The Leadership Challenge Overview Adapted from Kouzes and Posner (2003) www.bgsu.edu/downloads/oa/file11856.pdf , 11/26/11

Edmond R. (1996). Distance Teaching with Vision US Department of Education Educational Resources Information Center www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED396724.pdf 11/26/11

Ferrat, T.W. & Hall, S.R., (2009). Extending the Vision of Distance Education to Learning via Virtually Being There and Beyond Communications of the Association for Information Systems Vol.25 Issue 1 p.35 www.aisel.aisnet.org/cals/vol25/issue1/p35 , 11/27/11

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2003). Leadership Challenge Josey-Bass, California p.125

Siegrist, G., (2009). Educational Leadership Must Move Beyond Management Training to Visionary and Moral Transformational Leaders Education Vol.120 (1999) www.questia.com/googlescholar.qst?.docid=500187144 , 11/26/11