Developing a distance learning honours degree in health promotion for delivery using the Internet.
Designing this programme for distance learning delivery, especially for the Internet has been a major learning experience for all the staff involved. However, addressing and resolving these issues has now provided us with a template for developing other programmes in distance learning mode. This was an endeavour that all our market research indicated we had to undertake since institutions of higher education, especially schools of healthcare are no different to commercial companies. Like commercial organizations, higher education institutions, too, are consumer facing and are in direct competition with other educational 'suppliers', i.e. other universities and colleges. If a university is to compete and to 'sell' its products well, it too must consider the Internet as a way of advertising its wares, streamlining its business model and eventually conducting its business. In our case, this means delivery of educational programmes. However, as Internet technologies are primarily designed for research and business, there is currently a lag in the development of tools that enable effective social learning. Our next programme via the Internet will be even better for the experiences we've undergone and the lessons we've learnt during this initiative.
Young
G
G
Research Unit, Wolfson Institute of Health Sciences, Thames Valley University, UK.
Marks-Maran
D
D
Macklin
J
J
D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D011588:Psychology, Educational