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Overcoming Barriers to Distance Learning
by Lee Ann Barnhardt with contribution of Pam Castaldi (NM) and Linda Evans (MO)

A couple of years ago an article in the NASJE News stated that judicial educators should no longer be asking if they should use technology, but rather how to use technology to deliver programs. If we agree that technology, and therefore distance education, should be a part of our offerings, the question then is how to overcome obstacles to this delivery method.

Although long-distance learning was in existence long before video-conferencing, the Internet, or webinars (think back to the old pencil and paper correspondence courses or independent study classes), distance education in its current form is still very much an innovation. It is constantly changing, and thus, there always seems to be an element of risk to it.

Former judicial educator, Pam Castaldi, currently the Instructional Media Project Manager for the Learning Design Center at the University of New Mexico’s Health Science Center, said there are many ways to diffuse information and get people to accept and use distance education. Perhaps one of the most effective ways is to identify a respected person within the system as a role model for using a specific technology or program.

Ev Rogers would call this person an “early adopter” (Rogers, 2003). Early adopters are people who are well integrated into the social system; they are respected, liked, and looked to for their opinions and advice. They are not necessarily the formal leaders within the institution, nor are they innovators themselves. However, they are usually one step ahead of most people and are relied upon to lay the path for everyone else.

“In New Mexico, we had a core group of early adopters who played a significant role in demonstrating that web technologies are an effective educational method for judges and staff,” Castaldi said. “These were the judges and court staff who were willing, often eager, to try the new technologies, and when they liked them, to implement or encourage the use of these technologies into their own courts.”

Typically the most powerful communication these early adopters have is through their own interpersonal networks. But the New Mexico Judicial Education Center saw an opportunity in these early adopters and enlisted them to speak at conferences and to act as mentors.

“I think they made the difference in the speed with which the courts adopted JEC’s educational web courses and other resources,” she said.  “It seemed slow at the time, but looking back, they were ahead of the curve in trying this new thing called distance ed.”

Courts would be wise to identify their early adopters - keeping in mind that they are not necessarily formal leaders and not even innovators themselves.  She suggested offering opportunities for communication through conferences and meetings, but also taking advantage of informal social gatherings.

Linda Evans, Director of the Division of Judicial Education for the Office of State Courts Administrator in Missouri, suggests emphasizing how the learner benefits from courses offered in an on-line environment.

• On-line learning provides more efficient use of time
  • Less time traveling
  • Less time required to find something out
• By moving lecture and background materials on-line, classroom time…
  • …can be reduced
  • …can emphasize discussion and interaction
• On-line materials are available anytime
  • People can learn at their own pace and as their own schedule permits
  • Learners can return to the materials again and again
  • No waiting for a class to be held
• Professionals learn more effectively and quickly on the job
  • Efficient on-line learning becomes part of the job instead of something that happens separately
  • Working and learning integrate as a single whole
• On-line learning can more easily parallel personal learning styles

• By breaking information down into small, manageable courses over time, students are better able to absorb and use what they’ve learned
• Creating an on-line forum or other discussion method creates continuing relationships with other professionals that fosters continuous learning
• A broader perspective is created when learning networks transcend local parochialism

In addition to finding early adopters and promoting the benefits, it is helpful to keep in mind the challenges distance education presents to both teacher and learner. In distance learning, both teachers and students have different roles to play compared to a traditional classroom environment. The teacher is no longer the sole source of knowledge, but instead a guide or facilitator and the students are responsible for their own learning and must actively participate in what and how knowledge is imparted.

Faculty not only have to know content, but computer software and other technologies. Students must deal with feeling isolated and learn new ways to communicate with classmates and teachers. An article by Jill M. Galusha (1997) at the University of Southern Mississippi, “Barriers to Learning in Distance Education,” outlined some of the common obstacles to successful distance education programs.

Learner Barriers
Feedback and Teacher Contact: Learners may have a strong desire for direct access to the expert teaching the course. Maintaining a link between the faculty and the learner is essential. This can be addressed through e-mail, online discussion boards or webcasts where questions can be submitted in real time.

Isolation or Alienation: Learners may have a preference for learning through social interaction and networking. Learners of all kinds want to be part of a larger community. The need for interaction can be addressed by creating collaborative work groups (online and offline), online-chats, threaded discussions, and conference calls.

Discomfort with New Methods and Tools: Learners may not be well versed in the use of distance learning technologies. Using electronic mediums may exclude those who lack computer skills. Keeping it simple can alleviate this concern. Give clear instructions and teach learners how to manage the operating system. Technical barriers need to be made a non-issue.

Resistance to Responsibility: Effective distance learning requires interaction, critical thinking, and synthesis. The learner can’t check out mentally as he or she might do in a traditional setting. Manage this by making distance learning an extension of job responsibilities. Integrate learning accountability into performance appraisals.

Faculty Barriers
Lack of Training in Course Development and Technology: More than any other participant, faculty roles change the most in distance learning programs. They must change teaching styles, how they present material, and how they meet the needs of their students. They must have access to and be trained on proper equipment. Court administration and judicial education staff must provide ongoing technical support for faculty and provide training on curriculum development.

Lack of Motivation: Some faculty are not as eager to accept distance learning as others. Select faculty for these programs who are interested and want to participate. Faculty who want to teach distance courses are more likely to be successful.

Source: Rogers, E. M., 2003. Diffusion of Innovations, 5th ed. Free Press: New York.

Lee Ann Barnhardt is the Judicial Education and Special Projects Coordinator for the North Dakota Supreme Court in Bismarck, ND. She has a background in secondary education and communication and has worked as a journalist, a high school teacher and an adjunct professor in the field of communication.

Copyright 1999-2012, National Association of State Judicial Educators
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