TOWARDS THE VIRTUAL CLASS:
KEY MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN TERTIARY EDUCATION
by
Philippus Marthinus Uys
2000
TOWARDS THE VIRTUAL CLASS:
KEY MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN TERTIARY EDUCATION
by
Philippus Marthinus Uys
A thesis
submitted to the
in fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in Communications
2000
ABSTRACT
This study set
out to identify what the key management issues are when implementing the
virtual class within conventional tertiary education in
The
expression “virtual class” as used in this study refers to the phenomenon of a
class based on Internet and Intranet technologies, called networked education.
The action
research approach that was followed, used the
implementation of networked education at Wellington Polytechnic as its primary
case study.
The outcome
of this study is embodied in a set of heuristics as a tentative model for
managing the implementation of the virtual class infrastructure in conventional
tertiary education as well as in a description of a new tentative educational
management paradigm for the virtual class, called networked educational
management.
In this
research it will further be suggested that the diffusion of innovation theory
of Everett Rogers (1983), which proposes a bottom-up approach when the
innovation emerges from outside senior management, needs to be augmented by a
top-down component, which includes both senior and middle management for
effective diffusion of the virtual class in conventional tertiary education.
This
research questions whether conventional tertiary education is capable of
adapting its management approaches and processes to the extent that is required
for the effective and widespread use of the virtual class.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are
many to whom I owe thanks for the encouragement, advice, inspiration and
support that made this research possible.
To God, my heavenly
Father who has given me everything I need for life and godliness through the
knowledge of Jesus Christ.
To my wife Helene for her constant encouragement and sharing in the load
of editing, working through and completing this thesis.
To my children, Marike, Comien, Hanli and Christiaan, for their support
and patience.
To my father and mother, Chris and Retha Uys,
and my father-in-law and mother in-law, Neels and
Molly Meiring, for their encouragement and care.
To my principal supervisor, Emeritus Prof John Tiffin, and second
supervisor, Dr Lalita Rajasingham, for their valuable critique, advice and
availability.
To Dr Noel Bridgeman, Nick Zepke and Alison Viskovic for their collegial
advice, input and critique on this research.
To Bob
Bubendorfer, former president of Wellington Polytechnic, for sharing in the
vision of networked education and for being the initial sponsor of the HYDI
project.
To the HYDI team for the joint effort put into pioneering networked
education at Wellington Polytechnic.
To the Wellington Polytechnic (now
I take full
responsibility for any shortcomings in this research.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS
A number of
the interim research findings were explored by the author in publications and
papers, which thus allowed for the findings of this study to be scrutinised and
commented on by peers both nationally and internationally.
The details
are:
Butterfield,
S., Chambers M., Moseley, B., Prebble, T., Uys, P., Woodhouse, D. (1999). External quality assurance for the virtual institution.
(AAU Series on Quality Number 4).
Uys, P.M.
(1999, July). Towards the Virtual Class: Technology Issues from a Fractal
Management Perspective. Proceedings of the ED-MEDIA
99-World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia &
Telecommunications.
Uys, P.M.
(1999, January). Towards the Virtual Class in
Uys, P.M.
(1998). Towards the Virtual Class: On-line Hypermedia in Higher Education,
55-72. In Hazemi, R., Hailes, S. & Wilbur, S. (Eds). The
Uys, P.M.
(1998, April). New Educational Technology And The
Global Village: Key Management Issues In Higher Education. Proceedings of
Towards the Global University: Strategies for the Third Millennium Conference.
Uys, P.M.
(1998, June). From Vision to Reality: The Development of Distributed On-line Education at
Uys, P.M.
(1997, October). Towards the virtual class: trends in cyberspace education.
a) Paper
presented at Virtual Technologies in
Tertiary Education: A Vision for New
and in
b) Zepke,
N. (Ed.). (1998) Connections, 47,
Uys, P.M.
(1997a, June). Managing a hypermedia courseware
development project: dynamics and conclusions. Proceedings
of 18th World International Council for Distance Education Conference.
Uys, P.M.
(1997b, June). Supporting cyber students over the Web: the on-line campus of
Wellington Polytechnic. Proceedings of 18th World
International Council for Distance Education Conference.
DISCLAIMER
1. Victoria University of Wellington and its Council,
its members, staff, employees, students and agents undertake no duty of care in
contract, tort, or otherwise to users (whether direct or indirect) of this
Ph.D. research report and make no warranties or representations of any kind
whatsoever in relation to any of its contents.
2. The Ph.D. research report is only made available on
the basis that all its users, whether direct or indirect, should take
appropriate legal or other expert advice in relation to their own circumstances
and should rely solely on their own judgment and such legal or other expert
advise.
3. Under no circumstances will Victoria University of
Wellington and its Council, its members, staff, employees, students or agents
be liable in any way whatsoever, whether in contract, tort (including
negligence), for the breach of any statutory or regulatory duty (to the fullest
extent permissible by law), or otherwise, to any user (whether direct or
indirect) of this Ph.D. research report for any loss or damage whatsoever
arising directly or indirectly as a result of the use in any way of this
Ph.D. research report.
4. Each exclusion in the clauses of this disclaimer or
each protection given by the latter is to be construed as an exclusion or
protection applying and surviving separately, even if for any reason whatsoever
any of the exclusions or protections are held
inapplicable in any circumstance.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgments............................................................................................................ iv
Related Publications
and Papers..................................................................................... v
Disclaimer....................................................................................................................... vii
List of Figures................................................................................................................ xiii
List of Tables................................................................................................................. xiii
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Research Problem ...................................................................................................... 11
1.2 Objectives of this Study .............................................................................................. 13
1.3 Research Question ..................................................................................................... 14
1.4 Research Approach .................................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW.............................................................................................. 21
2.1 External Technological Environment ............................................................................ 21
2.2 External Socio-economic Environment ........................................................................ 27
2.3 Management Processes .............................................................................................. 35
2.3.1 Conventional Educational Management ............................................................. 36
2.3.2 New forms of Educational Management ............................................................ 36
2.4 Strategy ..................................................................................................................... 54
2.4.1 Educational reform ........................................................................................... 54
2.4.2 Implementing innovation..................................................................................... 58
2.4.3 Managing technological innovation .................................................................... 63
2.5 Roles and skills of individuals ...................................................................................... 65
2.6 Structure..................................................................................................................... 69
2.7 Technology ................................................................................................................ 71
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................... 75
3.1 Action Research.......................................................................................................... 75
3.2 Rationale for using Action Research............................................................................. 77
3.3 Validity....................................................................................................................... 78
3.4 Research implementation............................................................................................. 84
CHAPTER 4
CYCLE 1 – TOWARDS THE VIRTUAL CLASS....................................................... 88
4.1 Plan............................................................................................................................ 89
4.2 Act and Observe......................................................................................................... 90
4.3 Reflection.................................................................................................................. 106
4.3.1 Managing the implementation of the virtual class infrastructure .......................... 107
4.3.2 Managing the operations of the virtual class ..................................................... 121
4.4 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 125
CHAPTER 5
CYCLE 2 – FIRST NETWORKED COURSE........................................................... 127
5.1 Plan.......................................................................................................................... 128
5.2 Act and Observe....................................................................................................... 129
5.3 Reflection.................................................................................................................. 147
5.3.1 Managing the implementation of the virtual class infrastructure ..................... 147
5.3.2 Managing the operations of the virtual class ................................................ 154
5.4 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 142
CHAPTER 6
CYCLE 3 - FIRST COMMERCIAL NETWORKED COURSES............................ 160
6.1 Plan.......................................................................................................................... 161
6.2 Act and Observe....................................................................................................... 163
6.3 Reflection.................................................................................................................. 171
6.3.1 Managing the implementation of the virtual class infrastructure .......................... 171
6.3.2 Managing the operations of the virtual class ..................................................... 177
6.4 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 179
CHAPTER 7
CYCLE 4 – NETWORKED EDUCATION IN OPERATION.................................. 182
7.1 Plan.......................................................................................................................... 183
7.2 Act and Observe....................................................................................................... 183
7.3 Reflection.................................................................................................................. 190
7.3.1 Managing the implementation of the virtual class infrastructure .......................... 190
7.3.2 Managing the operations of the virtual class ..................................................... 199
7.4 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 208
CHAPTER 8
MANAGING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VIRTUAL CLASS INFRASTRUCTURE IN CONVENTIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION ........................................................ 210
8.1 Strategy.................................................................................................................... 213
8.2 Roles and Skills of Individuals.................................................................................... 219
8.3 Organizational Structure............................................................................................. 223
8.4 Technology............................................................................................................... 224
8.5 Augmenting
CHAPTER 9
MANAGING THE OPERATIONS
OF THE VIRTUAL CLASS: NETWORKED EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT......................................................................................................... 231
9.1 Networking .............................................................................................................. 234
9.2 Student Focussed ..................................................................................................... 239
9.3 Globalisation ............................................................................................................ 242
9.4 Transitory ................................................................................................................. 243
9.5 Adaptability............................................................................................................... 245
9.6 Transcending Time ................................................................................................... 247
9.7 Market Orientation ................................................................................................... 248
9.8 Computer Mediation ................................................................................................ 251
9.9 Collaboration............................................................................................................ 253
9.10 Convergence .......................................................................................................... 255
9.11 Boundary Orientation ............................................................................................. 257
9.12 Information Based .................................................................................................. 259
CHAPTER 10
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................ 262
10.1 Managing the implementation of the virtual class infrastructure .................................. 264
10.2 Managing the operations of the virtual class ............................................................. 268
REFERENCES............................................................................................................. 272
APPENDICES............................................................................................................ 304
Appendix 1 Draft Project Proposal.................................................................................. 304
Appendix 2 HYDI Presentation....................................................................................... 310
Appendix 3 Project HYDI: Progress Report 1................................................................. 313
Appendix 4 Proposed Change Process for Project HYDI................................................ 317
Appendix 5 Extract......................................................................................................... 318
Appendix 6 The Internet and Education: Possibilities and Challenges................................. 319
Appendix 7 Cycle 1: A Selection of E-Mail Messages...................................................... 324
Appendix 8 Memo: Report On
Appendix 9 Progress Report to SMG: March 1996......................................................... 339
Appendix 10 Progress Report to SMG: May 1996.......................................................... 340
Appendix 11 Cycle 2: A Selection of E-Mail Messages.................................................... 341
Appendix 12 New Media Group - Concept..................................................................... 356
Appendix 13 Cycle 3: A Selection of E-Mail Messages.................................................... 357
Appendix 14 Extracts From the Three-Year Plan 1998 - 2000 ....................................... 369
Appendix 15 Extracts From 1997 Performance Agreement.............................................. 373
Appendix 16 Evaluation Meeting..................................................................................... 374
Appendix 17 Discussion with Business Analyst................................................................. 377
Appendix 18 First Draft Guidelines and Regulations for On-Line Education...................... 379
Appendix 19 Position Outline.......................................................................................... 381
Appendix 20 Media Release............................................................................................ 383
Appendix 21 Invitation to Propose a Short On-Line Course for Web Delivery.................. 384
Appendix 22 Business Plan.............................................................................................. 385
Appendix 23 Memorandum: Your ‘Home’ for 1997 and Beyond..................................... 398
Appendix 24 Cycle 4: A Selection of E-Mail Messages.................................................... 400
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1 Internet Growth.................................................................................................. 5
Figure 1.2 Graphical Representation of this Research......................................................... 15
Figure 1.3 MIT90’s Schema.............................................................................................. 20
Figure 2.1 The Innovation Adoption Curve........................................................................ 61
Figure 3.1 Action Research Process.................................................................................. 87
Figure 5.1 Prototyping Development Methodology as used in this Study........................... 132
Figure 5.2 Wellington Polytechnic On-line Campus positioning......................................... 140
Figure 9.1 Networked Educational Management.............................................................. 233
LIST OF TABLES
Table 8.1 Heuristics of managing the implementation of the virtual class infrastructure in conventional tertiary education 213