Developing a conceptual framework for planning distributed education within Alberta’s comprehensive community institutions

Abstract

Previous research has revealed challenges faced by post-secondary institutions (PSIs) seeking to add or expand distributed education options within institutional contexts originally developed to support more traditional, face-to-face classroom learning. The qualitative study described in this dissertation used grounded theory methods to develop a conceptual framework to guide planning for of distributed education delivery within such institutions. The study is set within the context of an evolving regulatory, institutional, and technological environment and focuses specifically on those PSIs classified by the Government of Alberta as Comprehensive Community Institutions (CCIs) within the Alberta post-secondary system (defined within the dissertation). Like many other PSIs, these CCIs have gradually evolved to offer distributed delivery modes of varying structures and effectiveness and must now address gaps, inconsistencies, new opportunities, changing technologies, and potential efficiencies that may exist in their distributed education program and support service offerings. Although other work on planning for distributed education has been published, none of this earlier work has been specifically developed or tested for use within the unique context of the Alberta CCIs, which include in addition to the Alberta regulatory, financial, and historical context, the constraints and advantages of a regional stewardship mandate and, until recently, membership in an online learning consortium. This study therefore offers a unique and practical contribution to the field of distance education by building on previous work to develop a conceptual framework for the planning of distributed education delivery, grounded within data derived from within Alberta CCIs and their immediate provincial context. Such a conceptual framework for planning may become a useful tool in Alberta CCIs and may eventually form one small part of a more general theory of planning for distributed education in post-secondary education.