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History
Penn State's involvement in Distance Learning began with correspondence courses in 1892. Technological advances allowed courses to be provided using radio in the 1920s and film in the 1940s. Instructional television was introduced in the 1950s when a system was installed connecting 24 classrooms using one-way video and two-way audio, courses were provided starting in 1965 using public broadcasting. Between 1978 and 1987 all of Penn State's 17 campuses were by satellite links.
In 1979 PENNARAMA was founded in conjunction
with state cable television operators this educational cable television
network has grown into the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN).
With the development of interactive compressed
video, Penn State began installing T-1 lines in 1986 establishing connections
with the Hershey College of Medicine and the Behrend College in Erie. Within
a decade, compressed video capability was available to all Penn State campuses.
The
American Journal of Distance Education began publication
in 1987; the following year
The
American Center for the Study of Distance Education was established
to enable teachers, trainers, and researchers to share information on Distance
Education. As their program continued to grow, the Department
of Distance Education was
established in 1994. Just two years later, plans were initiated to develop
the World Campus to begin offering courses world wide. In 1997, as plans
for the World Campus proceeded, Penn State hosted the 18th World Conference
of the International Council for Distance Education. The World Campus began
offering courses in 1998.
"Today, the Independent Learning Program is the heart of Penn State’s distance education ventures, enrolling more than 19,000 students in all 50 states and more than 20 countries annually."
Building
on a Tradition of Excellence
Services
Introductory material for new students
World Campus Information
World Campus
The Pennsylvania State University
207 Mitchell Building
University Park PA 16802-3601 USA
Phone: 1-800-252-3592 (toll free within the U.S.)
+1 814 865 5403 (international calls)
Fax: 1-814-865-3290
E-mail: psuwd@psu.edu
Course
Registration
Secure
On-line Registration System
Web Registration Request Form
Phone Registration
World
Campus 101
An introductory
course for new students
WC 101 is divided
into five modules:
What's it like to be a Penn State World Campus student?
Using online course materials.
Interacting with your instructor and fellow students.
Using academic resources in your courses.
Getting help when you need it.
Course
Links for University Education (CLUE)
Students
can find courses by course name or by instructor name.
Course
Search Page
Find detailed
information to help you decide if a Penn State World Campus
and Independent Learning
courses are right for you.
Services include :
| Academic Advising |
| Faculty Resources |
| Media Sales ordering educational video, audio, & CD Roms |
| Student Resources |
Penn State computer account ID and password assistance
Program-related support
Program application processing
Course enrollment processing via Web, telephone, and mail-in registration
Financial Account Information
(for any questions concerning
your financial account status, call the
Distance Education
Business and Finance office at 814-863-8300,
or e-mail deb1000@cde.psu.edu)
Status changes (programs and courses)
Student advocate activities
Preprogram and postprogram-enrollment advising
Disability services
General problem solving
LIBRARY
RESOURCES AND SERVICES for WORLD CAMPUS /
DISTANCE
EDUCATION
Library
Delivery Services
Penn State University
Libraries will supply materials to students presently
enrolled in Distance Education/Independent
Learning or World Campus
courses.
Gateway
Commons
Electronic information
center for accessing the University Libraries'
resources
Collection Development Specialists
Research
Toolbox
Presents
instruction in the research process and techniques for effective
use of library and
information resources
Penn
State University Libraries Home Page
Connects to
specific libraries and services
World Campus
degree and credit certificate students have on–line
access to Penn State’s
vast University Libraries system—more than
3.7 million volumes,
31,000 serials and periodicals, and numerous
on–line research
databases.
LIAS
Links to ...The CAT - PSU Libraries Catalog
Journals & More
Fast Track - Menu of all databases
Books You've Borrowed
Help
Penn State Course Offerings
Penn State Independent Learning offers a variety
of programs, certificates,
and credit and noncredit courses
Master's Degree in Adult Education
Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program in Letters, Arts, and Sciences
LionHawk
program allows you to earn both an associate and a bachelor’s
degree without
having to be a resident instruction student at either
university’s
campus.
Associate
Degree Programs
Two associate
degrees can be earned through World Campus:
Hotel,
Restaurant, and Institutional Management (2HRIM)
Dietetic
Food Systems Management (2EDSM)
Three associate degrees
can be earned through Independent Learning:
Letters,
Arts, and Sciences (2LAS)
Business
Administration (2 BA)
Human
Development and Family Studies (2EHFS)
Credit
Certificate Programs
There
are a number of undergraduate and postgraduate credit
certificates
that can be earned through World Campus.
Chemical
Dependency Counselor Education
Customer
Relationship Management Certificate
Educational
Technology Integration
Logistics
and Supply Chain Management
Noise
Control Engineering
Turfgrass
Management
There are also a number of credit certificates
that can be earned through
Independent Learning.
Writing
Social Commentary
Business
Management
Small
Business Management
Advanced
Business Management
Retail
Management, Level I
Retail
Management, Level II
Marketing
Management
Human
Resources
Adult
Development and Aging Services
Children,
Youth, and Family Services
Dietetics
and Aging Certificate
Noncredit
Certificate Programs
World
Campus noncredit
certificates include:
Basic
Supervisory Leadership Certificate Program
Geographic
Information Systems
Webmaster
Independent Learning noncredit
certificates include:
Paralegal
Certificate
Legal
Issues for Business Professionals Certificate
Legal
Issues for Those Dealing with the Elderly Certificate
"Penn State Distance Education offers Distributed
Learning, which combines independent study and classroom group learning
for staff training and professional development opportunities. Corporations,
associations, and organizations can arrange for subject course work at
their own locations, taught by experts, and lasting anywhere from twelve
to approximately twenty-six weeks."
Understanding
Your Program Options
Classes may be delivered using interactive videoconferencing and the Internet.
Distributed Learning programs include:
Master of Engineering in Acoustics
Master of Education in Elementary Education
Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Logistics
and Supply Chain Management
Of special interest to Distance Education teachers are:
The Educational
Technology Integration Certificate program "consists of a structured
series of graduate-level courses designed to help teachers, trainers, instructional
designers, and media-support personnel integrate technology into learning
environments."
Instructors include: Dr. Francis Dwyer, Dr.
David Jonassen, Dr. Barbara L. Grabowski, Dr. Kyle L. Peck, and Dr. Susan
Land.
The Webmaster
Certificate Program "is designed to help individuals learn foundation-level
skills in Web-based communications, while gaining the expertise needed
to meet today’s growing demand for Internet developers." Courses: Information
Sciences and Technology
and Faculty
Development 101
Evaluation of Courses
The World Campus offers a variety of programs, certifications, and courses. Considering Penn State's commitment to Distance Education and its excellent faculty, I would imagine that course offerings will continue to expand. The World Campus maintains the principle that "all courses — credit or noncredit — are the responsibility of the academic department regardless of location or delivery method."
There seems to be nothing haphazard about the
way courses are being developed. Indeed, Instructional Designers are spending
a great deal of time working with faculty to insure that they are comfortable
with the transition to Distance Learning and aware of the adjustments they
will face.
Faculty
and Instructional Designers Team Up to Develop World Campus Courses
"Penn State is accredited by the Middle States Association and has an outstanding reputation as a research and teaching university. Our courses are also accepted by most other colleges and universities in fulfillment of their requirements. If you are planning to take courses at another college for transfer to Penn State, the college must be accredited by one of the following accrediting agencies:"
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
Southern Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
What
to Look for in an On-line University
Penn State's Center for the Study of Higher
Education surveyed 164 students who took Distance
Education classes during the spring of 1999.
The results indicated:
87 percent of the students said they “absolutely” or “probably” would
take another World Campus
course, based on their spring semester experience.
82 percent said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the level
of
communication they had
with faculty and other students.
70 percent said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the overall
use of technology
in the course.
World
Campus Students Report Satisfaction With Course Experiences
Population Served
"The World Campus uses information technology
to extend some of Penn State’s signature academic programs around the world.
It currently offers programs to more than 600 students. By the end of its
fifth year, the World Campus plans to offer 25-30 programs, comprising
more than 300 courses and reaching an estimated 10,000 students through
its Internet-based technologies."
Orientation for Penn State’s World Campus Students Takes Place in Cyberspace
"According to an April 29, 1997, report by an 18-member study team looking into the ‘World Campus’ concept, Penn State is preparing to offer as many as 30 academic programs through a variety of delivery methods. By the year 2002, more than 300 courses could be offered on-line or on CD-ROM, in combination with some traditional methods such as video and audio cassettes and textbooks."
World Campus has received more than 9,326 inquiries from over 7,666 prospective
students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 4 territories,
64 countries, and from U.S. Service men and women stationed around the
world.
To date, more than 790 students have been admitted to World Campus programs
accounting for 760 course registrations.
World Campus students come from around the world, including Argentina,
Austria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, and Malaysia. Did
you know?
Mission and Goals
"The World Campus uses multiple technologies to present information, to facilitate interaction among students and faculty, to give students access to learning resources, and to provide instructional and administrative support. The result is a new kind of learning community that is learner-centered, resource-based, and universally available."
"Distance education as a University-wide function enhances Penn State’s ability to serve students in all parts of the world, increasing student flexibility regarding the time, place, and pace of study and creating a highly interactive, learner-centered environment that is marked by increased access to faculty expertise and increased access to information resources. In addition to its role in instruction, distance education is integral to the research and service elements of the University’s mission; it enables the University to reach out to a broader community and, at the same time, brings worldwide expertise to Penn State campuses. Distance education is not simply the addition of technology to instruction; instead, it uses technology where appropriate to make possible new approaches to the teaching/learning process."
A programmatic vision for distance education must be accompanied by an effective strategy to achieve it. Penn State already has a set of core competencies that will allow it to function as a “virtual campus” through the support of Continuing and Distance Education and other key offices in the following areas:
Workforce education at a distance.
Institutional and international partnerships.
Outreach for economic and community development.
Youth and school partnerships.
Faculty development.
Pedagogy and leadership.
Distance
Education at Penn State Vision, Principles, and Policies
Distance Education Policies
How Independent Learning Works
Distance Education Procedures, Rules, Regulations
Degree Student: A student who has been officially accepted into a Penn State degree program by the Admissions Office. (A degree student who is on official leave of absence from the University may still enroll in an Independent Learning course. The student continues to be enrolled as a degree student.)
Provisional Student: A student who holds a high school diploma or its equivalent and is seeking to pursue a degree program but does not have the criteria required for admission as a degree student.
Adult Nontraditional Degree Student:
A student who has been officially accepted by the Admissions Office into
a Penn State adult nontraditional degree program.
(This includes 2LAS, 2 BA, and 2EHFS students
through Independent Learning.)
Nondegree Conditional Student: A student who has been dropped from degree or provisional status by Penn State because of unsatisfactory scholarship.
Nondegree Regular Student: A student who is
taking courses but has not applied for or been formally accepted into a
Penn State degree program. (This also includes degree students from other
universities taking Independent Learning program courses.)
Strengths
The World Campus seems dedicated to the idea
of providing distance courses in a variety of areas to meet the needs of
a diverse student population. There appears the be a clear plan to continue
developing quality Distance Education courses. Since the World Campus was
started, new programs have been developed, and Penn State continues to
explore interest for potential programs. With experienced faculty
like Dr. Francis Dwyer, Dr. David Jonassen,
Dr. Barbara L. Grabowski, Dr. Kyle L. Peck, and Dr. Susan Land on hand
to help guide and develop courses, the program should continue to grow.
"Seventeen students — professionals pursuing
varied careers in scattered locations across the U.S. — recently completed
the certificate program in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from Penn
State’s College of Earth & Mineral Sciences, making them the first
to “graduate” from the university’s two–year–old World Campus."
Penn
State’s World Campus Graduates First Class
Penn State appears to be taking an aggressive stance on meeting the needs students and the 21st century workplace.
"Members of the Penn State World Campus Advisory
Board and Steering Committee gathered at The Penn Stater Conference Center
Hotel for two days in October to discuss the next steps in the development
of the University’s on-line campus. They also talked about the World Campus’
programming vision, considered potential industry partnerships, strategized
about expanding the international presence of Penn State’s 25th campus
and examined the implications of significant growth over the next four
years. The World Campus anticipates almost 3,000 enrollments this academic
year.
Penn
State and National Leaders Plan World Campus’ Trajectory
"Faculty
Development 101 (FACDEV 101) is an on–line course in which faculty
learn to develop and teach on–line courses. The course has been available
to Penn State faculty registered to teach in the World Campus since last
year." Faculty Development 101 is now publicly accessible.
Penn
State Launches On–Line Course for Faculty Worldwide Who Want to Hone On–Line
Teaching Skills
Weaknesses
Recently, the pages on the World Campus site were reorganized, and I feel that it is slightly more difficult to locate necessary information. Several useful pages seem to have disappeared. I appreciate the need to update pages, but I find it frustrating when the only thing that changes is the URL.
Frankly, I feel that the World Campus would benefit from more advertising.
I wouldn't actually say that it is a weakness,
but I would like to see more graduate and undergraduate courses in general
college areas like history, literature, and film studies.
Those are areas I'm interested in, and I'd
like to see how they might be structured and taught.
I would imagine that as the interest in Distance
Education increases a substantial number of high school students will seek
to take a few college credit courses in preparation for their freshman
year. Along with the programs which currently exist, I think the World
Campus should expand the number of available college transfer courses.
Articles
‘World Campus’ is moving forward
Orientation for Penn State’s World Campus Students Takes Place in Cyberspace
The Effectiveness of Distance Learning
World Campus Increases Access to Penn State
Newest Campus is in Cyberspace
Faculty and Instructional Designers Team Up to Develop World Campus Courses
Penn
State Launches On–Line Course for Faculty Worldwide
Who Want to Hone On–Line Teaching Skills
Developed by M. L. Dutch. Last Edited Nov. 10, 2000.
