Converging Modalities for Distance Education in Professional Communication: Implications froIn Flexible Delivery RAYARCHEE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA, UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY NEPEAN, NEW SOUTH W ALES, AUSTRALIA SHIRLEY SAUNDERS FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA INTRODUCTION TIle ability to communication education to lear~ers at a distance through adopting flexIble ll:arning lnethods using conV(~rgil1g modalities (induding print matpriais and Web-bas(~d learning) is significant for COlnnlulncation educators given the (:~xplicit links betwefm course (:on~ent and rapidly pvolving comnlu:mcatlOTIS tt~chnology and telecOlnmunicatiolls .media. The content ~)f c01nmunication subjects dealing with lllterpersonal relations, teamwork and organisational communication has been directly affected hy how (~lectronic cOIDlnunication is used in the work- place. For those working in educational institutions it is aIm osi inlpossible not to teach on-campus or by dishmce without some form of technological content and support. in fact it has been argued that incorporating elt~ctronic technology into course design can gi ve credibility and relevance to the study of professional COlnnlUl1ication (Craig & Carlone 1998' La:mbrecht, 1999; Sto~k, 1998). A' UlajO; issue for all educators i., that although "students lllay like the f]t.~xibility offered by di"tance learning, there continues to be COnCf'.nl about the quality of those programsfY (Sonner, 1999, p. 243), There may be trade-oUs in If)annng pxperiences and outcom(:~s embedded in distance l{~arning (Beattie & James, 1997), Delivery methods in com.munication studies need to offer means for cbalk:nging students to Inanage c01nplexity and uncertainty, to encourage critical ,md reflective inquiry and to examine practical applica lions of learning about cOln.munication. Our analysi~ of recent trends in learning COlnmunlCation at a distance is based on findings from the lilerature on flexihle delivery (uld {our case studies of our own f~xperi<:'nCt~s of conununication education in undergraduate and postgraduat0 courses in profeSSional comnlunication (Durham, vVithnalt & Harris, 1998; Ticehurst & Ross-Smith, 1998) in Australia in the School of Communication and Media al the Journal Learning, Vo16, No 1, 2001 ((:) Distann~ Education Association of N<'w Zealand 5 University of '!VesteTIl Sydney, Nepean (UWSN) and the Faculty of Education at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). We explore the growing myth that the experience of teaching and learning communication in £lexiblt~ modes promising asynchronous interactions and leaTIler autonomy is essential and desirable for both learners and educators regardless of distance constraints. W(~ note that flexible learning can incorporate a range of quite diverse indicators such as: flexibility of access; flexibility of participation; flexibility of content; flexibility of teaching and learning methods; flexibility of response; flexibility of assessment; and flexibility of resources (UTS, 1999b). In our four case studies we aimed to develop flexible modes of learninpy including distance education with a student-centred approach (Trigwell, 1999), to assist students to extend the theory and practice of communication, to dem,onstrate expertise in dealing appropriately with tf1chnology and people and to be prepared to use problem solving' creatively and persistently in work envirOlUnt'~nts. The four case studies are briefly outlined as follows: 4& Subjects in the School of Communication and Media, UWS, Nepean: Electronic Research Methods (undergraduate) and Visual Rhetoric (postgraduate ); e Subjects in the Faculty of Education, UTS: Language, Culture and Communication (postgraduate) and Adult Communication Management and Team Work (postgraduah~). The forms of flexible delivery and flexiblf'. learning available :in the subjects Electronic Research lvlethods and Visual Rhdonc included: face to face lecturesi tutorial sessions in computer laboratories; printed learning guide covering content and support material; online subject outline and assessment requirements, weekly modules and web resources; interactive relay chat (IRC); interaclive web~based learning through subject web-site; e-mail class list. Students were free to utilise any or all of these available forms of leanling. They were not required to attend classes at the mliversity cam.pus. Students who did not have home conlputers could use the university com.puters at a time of their own eboice. The nature of assigrtments to be submitted for assessment was set by the lecturer. Students could send aSSignments to acadenlic staff electronically bye-mail, to a web site or submit assignments on paper by post or at the university. Each subject ifj one semester in duration. For the case study on Electronic Research Methods in 1.999 evaluations wer(~ collected from 207 students OVf~r two selnt~sters. h11999 Visual Rhetoric was completed by 16 studt~nts including students visiting from overseas. At UTS stud(~nts nominatt~ their attendance pattern (Part-tim.e or FuU- tirnE~) and then in a separate catt~gory their preferred mode of learning that includes: Weekly; Distance; Block On- cam,pus; Mixed; Block-off cam.pus; SUlnmer/wint(~r intensive. The subjects tanguage, Culture and Communication and Adult Communication Management and Team Work were available as "a distance learning 11lode" adlninistered by the Flexible Learning Unit in the Faculty of Educalion, UTS. The term f1 distance h1.arning mode" ref(:'!rnJd to 11 a Inode of learning whf~re students arc not obliged to attend on cmnpus, although some campus activities luay be offered" Journal of Distance Learning, Vol 6, No I, 2001 ~;) DistmKf' Educ<'ltion Association of N~'w Zealand 6 (Slade, 1999a). A distance learning mode nlay include self-managed learning (SML) as a learning tool (not a delivery mode), while ufl~~xible" refers to many kinds of m.odes (Slade, 1999a). Forms of flexible delivery and flexibl~~ learning in. these two UTS cOlnmunication subjects included: face to face Orientation (Saturday session); OrientaLion session in computer laboratories (Saturday session); three printed h~arning guides - Subject Profile, Subject Learning Guide, Readings - covering subject outline, content, support material and copies of suggested Readings; online li"tserve; e-mail; h~lephone. Students were free to utilir;e any or all of thes(:: available forms of leanling. Criteria and requirements for assessment wen~ set by the lecturer and included negotiated learning contracts. Students were asked to send assignmentr; to acadelnic staff on paper by post. Each subject is one semester in duration and to date apprOXimately 3D sLudents have participated in each of these subjects. These case studies are part of rapidly developing initiatives in flexible delivery at both universities. For example, 1n the Faculty of Educabon at UTS in 1997-1998 35 to face subjects were developed for c..i.istance learning by 42 academic staff supported by educational deSigners, editors and desktop publishers. In 1999 there were m.ore than 40 subjects available in eight courses (Slade, 1999b). Thp nwnagmnent systpm includpd Top Class nnnputer software. At UWS, a varj(~ty of Web-based packages is being used. For one of the authors, such proprietary systems have several shortcOlnings, that becOlne obvio'U.'i after one or two semesters of trialling s11ch software. Probh?lnS such as rigid interfaces, and uu\vid.dy nativp conlmunication services, have led to the alternative of installing freeware and shareware software, whicn are easily available on the Internet. These programs include a variety of bulletin board systems, chat rooms and electronic filespace systems that allow for much- needed flexibility and irmo vaLion, which is somewhat lacking in the proprietary programs. In summary, there are many possible combinaLion.') of the forms of flexible learning that commUJucaLion educators mi.ght con.c;;ider (UTS, 1999b; UWSN, 1999). In the next Sl~ction we draw on these case studies to explore seven main themes for facilitating f.lt~xible modes of distance education: (1.) learning style; (2) personal contact with academi.c staff; (3) interactivity and leanung commu1lities; (4) technical and other support; (5) conlputer-mediated COlrununication and learning; (6) student proble.ms with technology; and (7) im.plications for academic staff. Our focus is to identify a nUlnber of implications for profeSSional conlmunication education. (1) Learning Style Tht~ potential to usp converging media for distano' pducation in communication studies may cn~ah~ a new p(~dagogy where diverse leanung styles (Honey & Mumford, 1992; Kolb, 1985) are addressed and a new relationship is formed b(~tween teacher and studcmL. implications are that teachr~rs will InOV(~ from setting individual assig111nents to collaborative projects; leal1ung nwthods accommodating diffpn~nt learning styles will be' introduced; resources for Iparning will be expanded and the II teacher-s tu dent hierarchy" will be broken down as lithe studpnt moves from passive re((~ptadp to self-m.otivated managers of their own Journal of Distal'u:e Vol 6, No I, 2001 ({) Distance Education As..<;ociation of Nt'w b:ahmd 7 learning [and] teachers move from oracle and lecturer to consultantl guide, and resource provider'" (Markel, 1999, p. 208). ill the four communication subjects previously referred to in thi" paper, we have consistently used a variety of materials and methods in teaching to increase m_otivation, to add interest to the learning experience, to cater for different learning styles and to promote experiential learning of comm.unication principles and skills. Using converging modalities in recent years has resultfld in some noticeable differences in the type of interactions between students and teachers. We have noticed a trend towards more independent and personall.y responsible learning by students. Relationships between lecturer and student tend to be more collaboratiVE;) and less hierarclricaL Markel (1999) regarded the potential of dis tilllC e education to break down the teacher- student hierarchy as a very tenuous claim because, ultimately, the students are graded by the teacher. In spite of the existence of this role and power differential ill our comlnmucation subj(~cts we have found that contributions to fortnightly IRe are less formal, nlore colloquial in terms of language used, more abbreviated in fornls of language used, greater use of humour, Inore friendly, supportive types of chat, more self disclosure and possibl y lllore dynamic engagement than a face to face class session. The IRe environment seemed safer, more equalising illld less inhibiting than conventional m.eetings. IRe was an attempt to cater for different learning styles as engageluent was determined by each student who could prepare in advilllCe§ think before posting a contributionl focus on applications, actively participate in a spontaneous form of debate, follow th(~ debate without contributing or not log on at all Leonard (1996b) argued that a Web based form of delivery characterised discovery lear.ning because the hypermedia design characteristics of the Web emphasise the associative thinking patterns of an active learner. Leonard (1996a, 1996b) advocated discovery learning m.odes especiall.y for postgraduate students. We have found varying degrees of lack of confidence among graduate students to set goals for self discovery learning by designing their own negotiated learning contracts as their major form of assessm.ent. An article on guidelines for this type of discovery learning is availablt~ for our students and face to face), e-mail, fax or telephone contact with an acadelnic advi<;er is provided. Nevertheless, a more structured form of assessment n~quiring critical annotation., to produce a themed Bibliography followed by a detailed case study has been welcom.ed by many postgraduate distance students. Not all distance students embraced self directed learning with confidence and enthusiasm. Lambrecht (1999) pointed out that it seems that learners with a learning orientation rather than a performance orientation do better when a problem becomes difficult and a degree of p(~rsistence is required. The ability to pursue problenls that are not inunediately solvable is an important attributp for communication students to possess. Indeed not all students possessed thE:~ computer literacy required to engage in flpxible learning using the Web. In our case study on the undergraduab:~ subject Electronic Research Methods student evaluations paradoxicaUy indicated that only about half of the stu.dents acLuall y Journal afDistance Learning, Vol 6, No 1, 2001 (~) Di"tal1c(~ Education Association of N.,w Zealand 8 I"eported that flexible delivery (where on. cam,pus attendance was not requirt~d) was m;eful to them. One possible n~ason. for this was the fact that students had the option of studying in traditional classrooms and computer laboratories or studying via Web-based weekly modules. In addition, almost exactly half the class rated their computer skills as "novice" at the start of the semester. The more advanced students opted to try a number of learning modes especially Web-based modules, wIllie the mote anxious students went to class every week TI1US this study tended to confirm that novices unfamiliar with the sp(~d.fic subject content and computers prefer to attend face to faCE! methods (lectures and tutorials) where a hands on approach guidf~d by an lllstructor can be used. A handful of students fOIDld u.nrestrict(~d choice and lack of nlO1utoring of student attendance to be detrimental: "I really didn't like this flexible learning idea. 'Th(~ fact that attendance was made optional made i.t a little too f)asy to fall behind at times" . Although the flexible menu catered for diffef(~nt lean ling styles th(l,re was potential for some stud(~nts to fail to complete the subject because they dE::pendt)d 011 external monitoring, lacked time managenlent skills and wen\ not used to m,ethods of learning that gaV(~ students a degree of autonomy. Pressun~s of the requirf~ments of other subjects and other responsibilities tendE~d to take precedence so that flexible nlodes of distance learning were in fact nol utilised. For tl1(' subj(~ct Electronic Research Methods this applied to 10-15~) of students. In terms of learning stylE:~, for some students flexible delivery incorporating distance modes was an asset and for others it was di')counted and (~ven prov(~d to be a distinct liability. Overall, it is our experience that learning style also has nluch to do with employment context and familial responsibilities. Whilst we would agree that individual learning styles are important considerations, these styles are changed when you inLroduce the stresses of modem day living replete with long hours of work and unremitting parenting. Flexible distance learninl~ perfectly suits these situations in many cases. (2) Personal Contact with Academic Staff Opportmuties for personal contact with academic staff are lughly valued by students and the quality of academic in45truction is said to be one of the most im,portant factors for student selection of a university (Phillips, 1998). Students tend to judge expressive, warnl and involved instructors as being enthusiastic, well-organised and knowll)dgeable (Frynlier, 1995; Guerrero & Miller, 1998; Nussbaum, 1992; Smithson, 1998; Wanz(~r & McCroskey, 1998). ResponSiveness from academic staff in the form of timely and appropriate feedback is very important to studl~nts. Over 80% of stud(~nts in the Electronic Research A1ethods subject reported that face to face contact with staff was beneficial to their progress. This figure may be biased because of the technical nature of this subject such as using the hlternet, authoring W~~b pages and using t)soteric software. Postgraduate students at UTS w(~re satisfied to resolve issues with staff by telephone and, more importantly, by e-mail. It is our finding that the more teduucal the subject nlatLer thE:) more thaL staff will be valued. Journal Vo16r No 1,2001 «:'" Distance Education Associatioll of New Zealand '> (3) Interactivity and Learning COn'lmunities Our communication subjects have provided electronic and face to face opportunities and structures for interactivily and creation of learning communities. IRe and access to an e-mail listserve are two examples. At UTS students are encouraged to enrol in a. register of Learning Partnerships administered by the Coordinator of the Flexible Delivery Unit. An Orientation Day held in the Faculty of Education at UTS in February 1999 atlracted 140 distance students,. although few attended who were enrolled in cOIDnlunication subjects by distance. We nob.~ that considerable technical and administrative support has been requif(~d to provide the variety of interactivity to form leanung communities (as a whole group or a number of paif(~d partnerships) at both our universities. We also have found along with other colleagues that a significant num.ber of distance students prefer to complete the subject on their own. While some students enjoy the opportuniti(~s for interactivity, others do not. We have not required students to engage in these interactive modes as part of the assessment for our subjects. Neither have we monitored the alllOunt of interactivity and engagement/ contributions by individual students. A culture where academic staff and students regularly use wt"!b-based conierencing is still developing in our universities. We are aware of the limits of access to web-based conierencing for nlany students who may have Internpt facilities at work but are unable to use these for private study. As one colleague remarked: lilt is one thing for students to have an e-mail address and access to the internet either at work or via a friend¥ it is another to be able to use these for private study at times of their choosing" (UTS; 1999a). One further note on illteractivity is concen1.ed with providing regular interaction between staff and student via combination') of communication media. We have consistently off(:~red timely interaction retunling marked assignments usually witll1n a week and replying to e-mails on the same day or within one to two days. It is quite common for students to thank us for these liprompt replies" and for the personal attention they receive. We do note, however, the following comment by an academic on the pitfall" of quicker¥ easier and even cheaper COITllllumcation: "It is ad vised to not send asseSSlnent feedback the same day an aSSignment is received [by email]. Students have complained that the lecturer has not given sufficient time to assess sonu>.thing tll{~y have been working on for s(-'veral weeks" (UTS1 1999a), (4) Technical and Other Support TIl(~re is unanimous agf(~el1wnt in the lib~ratun~ thal flexible distance learning iniliativ(~s are only feasible given adequate technical and other support (Alexand{~rf 1997i Atkin.c:;on, 1999; Cashion, 1998i Lynott, 1998; Rice, -1998; Scott, 1996; Thompson,. Winterfield, & Flanders, 1998). When software or hardware is not installed, or if software is not configured propprly, then students and acadelnics alike will becom.e frustrated and disgruntled, devaluing the whole (J.xercise. In our universiti{~s teaching and learning work'ihops have b{~en conducted attended by both acadenlic and technical and administrative staff to collaborate on interaction stratPgies to support learning Journal of Distance Learning, Vol 6, No 1, 2001 Distann> Education Association of Nt~W Zealand 10 at a distance. Needs analyses have been undertaken by acadenlics to identify concerns of other academics using one to one interviews. Updates 011 technical innovations and syst(~m changes are given regularly to all staff bye-mail. Gradually staff are becoming fam.iliar with current technological language and the potential of electronic communication media for teaching and h~arning strategies. Design ad vice and documentation support, for example given by the Flexible Learning Unit in the Faculty of Education at UTS, were vital for the translation of teaching and learning nlaterials into a print form suitabll' for di9tance learners. In Novembt~r 1999 th(~ print-based m.aterials for the postgraduatl~ subject Language, Culture and Communication (Saunders & Dryden, 1998) were reviewed by an indepE~ndent consultant according to the following criteria: .. clc:~ar statements oJ learning! objectives outcom.es; II structure of l~,~arning units support(~d by introduction and summary; .. the effective integration and focusing of rpading tasks; • the use of a variety of activities and feedback to support different leanl:ing styles and self aSSeSSll1el1t; II tht~ use of effective typographic layout and devices to enhance accessibility and ftulCtionality (Slade, 1999c). The authors were able to take advantag(~ of the specific support prOvided by the Flexible Delivery Unit to produce print- based materiab evaluated to be of high quality that II could b(~ used as exemplars or nlodels to guide the developm<:mt of other SML materials" (Maonullen, 1999, cited in Slade, 1999(1 p. 1). TIus degree of quality was facilitated by the level of deSign, policy, procedural and processing support provided to the academic writers. While students appreciated adequate technical and administrative support such as receiving information and resources in a timely fashion, flexible forms of distance learning were also supported by a range of other factors. DeSanctis and Sheppard (1999) found that the executives taking their business adm.inistration course were successful if they were able to gain support from superiors and subordinah~s at work for allocating SOllle time for coursework7 if the family was supportive, if they developed a team of other students to rely on for needed help, and if they could establish a pattt~m of rune dedicated to doing coursework. For exanlple tht~ communication subjects at UTS are supported by procedures for forming optional learning partnerships as part of the services of the Flexible Delivery Unit. Studies have shown that student learning in ctistance modes is supported whf~n networks allowed for both real- time and asynchronous exchange, when a clear procedure for document exchange is provided, when assessmt~nt requirelnents are explicit and when the technology has convenient student access (Lopt~Z & Nagelhout, 19951 cited in tIilton & Kameda, 1999). hl addition, Duin and Archee (1996) concluded that studt~nts felt safer using (~-mail than talking in person and wef(~ .more willing to take linguistic chances over the Intenlet than when spea.king or writing. This was important for their multicultural courses in communication where students conunul1icatt~d with peers across cultun)s to achieve Journal Yo] 6, No 1, 2001 ~) Distimer: Education Association of NE~W Zealand 11 learning outcomes. Graduate students in the subject Visual Rhetoric at UWS experienced real-time and asyndrronous communication, designated student access to tedmology on campus and from hom.e conlputers cmd clear procedures for document exchange. These support features helped to build a collaboralive learning environment where individual and group work flourished assisted by multi m,eilia and extensive web-based resources. The lecturer added to the subject web site weekly in response to student leanling needs. The intention was to engage the group in a dynamic form of web-based learning rather than offering students a static web site set up in its entirety at the commencement of the subject to facilitate paced learning. Learning outcomes related to professional comrnmTIcation such as problem solving, teamwork, resource location and sharing, creativity and innovation in work produced were enhanced by these kinds of technical and other support. (5) Computer-Mediated COlnmunication and Learning Th.e literature contains reports of numerous advantages:in using computer- mediated communication (CMC) in instruction (Gregor & CuskeIly, 1994; ShedletskYI 1995; Wilson & VVhitelock, 1997; Witmer, 1998). In terms of CMC we make a distinction between real- time applications such as computer chat and desktop videoco.nferencing, and asynchronous e-mail and bulletin boards. The lLge of these modalities is not clearly understood in the literature. assum.plioll has been that aD communication mediated by computers is the same, more or less. It is worth noting that at both of our instilutions, student use of IRC if) actively discouraged as a distraction to real work - a rune-wasting activity. Whilst every student has a right to electronic mail access, the opposite is enforced for electronic chatting over the Internet. Similarly every reference to the word Ir chat" is denied by one of our universily's Web proxy servers deeming thi" mode of CMC as unworthy of even perusal by students. In contrast, Archee (1.993, 1.994) found that if given the dl0iC(~ many students will dloose real-time conferencing over asynchronous exchanges for brain- storming and decision making ta'1ks, reserving e-mail and bulletin boards for information and document exchange. In 1999 the popularity of the fortnightly IRe sdl~~duled for two hours at a deSignated time in the subject Visual Rhetoric at UWS was evident. Th(~ lmnlediacy of real-time "chat" closely rest~nlbles the interaction and outcomes of real dif)CllSsions and is a valuable alternative of aJl flexible dic;tance leanting courses. (6) Student ProbleJ1ts with Technology In the subject Electronic Research Methods at UvVS undergraduate comlnunication students wpre specifically taught how to prepare a home page aJ1d conlputer literacy was not a requirement for the subject. NoviCt~S generally reported that l<:~arning about electronic research methods was difficult either on campus or by distm1Ce. Student evaluations showed that Inany students did not develop computer literacy easily. For exmnple, 8% reported "Advanced" com.puler competence at the beginning as opposed to 20% at end of subject Theil' stru ggl(~s are a signal that course deSigners should not expect that students these days are com.fortable and oriented to com,puter-based leanung and that online deliveri(~s will facilitate flexible Journal of Distance Learning, Vol 6, No I, 2001 @ Distanc(' Education Associa.tion of New Zealand 12 learning for most students or enable students to learn at a distance. We found indicalions that, even after successful completion of a subject such as Elech'onic Research Methods, many students are not confident or comiortable about using online forms of learning. A question that we have seldom s(~en asked is whether or not contenlporary forms of flexible distance learning are wholly acceptab}(~ in terms of the culLure of the participaIlt. Scollon and Scollon (1994, 1995) highlight religion and culture as significant factors for det(~rmining a student's acceptability of student-centred, flexible distance learning. In many cultures institutional learning is a didactic exercise whereby the teacher-student relationship is alnlost wholly one-way communication. In many Asian, Bastenl European, and Islanlic countries the teacher is totally responsible for student learning. The recognition of quE'stions and feedback is not a univE~rsal educational precept. When inb;~mational stud€:!nts enrol in our COurSE~S are we in fact forcing Western . values, albeit educationally sound ones, upon them? We also recognise with Sheridan and Silnons (1998) that a web sitE! can be tItechnically brilliant and cultmall y -inC01n pe tent" . When courses in distancp education cross cultural boundaries and are mediated by technology tht~ possibiliti(~s [or mi"understanding increase dramatically (Saunders & Arch(:~(~, 1999). (7) Jnlplications for A.cadetnic Staff R(~actions of acadenl.ic staff to di'itanC(~ learning initia lives reporb~d in the literature have been enthusiastic as well as cautious. Educators have admitted that InrulY distance learning options will noL suit academic staff and that Significant staff development and additional technical and administrative resources and systems m.ay be necessary before some options are feasible. The roles of academic staff as fadlitators of learning in more collaborative modes may be new and uncomfortable to staff (AitkenJ 1995). Leonard (1996b) reported responding to more than 40 e-mail messages daily as well as increased telephone calls to distance students. Asynchronous methods of learning mean that students may contact academic staff over 24 hours day and night including weekends. Expectations of immediate feedback may need to be negotiated between learners and academic staff. At UTS in the Faculty of Education distance learning study guides deal explidtly with communication expectations from the staff and students' points of view. Educators have assessed the time and effort required for developing course nlaterials for flexible distance learning as excessive and resourced. These efforts add to an academic workload and not necessarily to appropriate rewards and recognition, including protection of int(.lllectual property, hence the caution expressed by some educators. The current widespread bureaucratic optimis:m for flexible leanling/ delivery and distance education tends to discount any notions of staff/student training (Thompson et al., 1998), data Inanagement infrastructures, or recurrent technological costs. Distance education may be m neh less cost effective if tht:s(~ (~xtra costs are factored into the equation. Acadclnic staff will be asked to contribute fllore, not less, time in order to implelnent flexible distance delivery. Our role as communication educators has been to provide distance education that i~ not inappropriate or alienating and that :includes sound Journal of Disl"ance Lf:'arnmg, Vol 6, No I, 2001 <£.\ Distance Education Association of New Zealand 13 pedagogy including options for face to face interaction and fitting use of converging modalities. CONCLUDING REMARKS What is ~he sc?pe and feasibility of using HeXlble distance learning and delivery to educate professional commmucators in the areas of applied com,municaLion and communication management? While distance education offers advantages of access to courses and self managem,ent of learning a purely correspondence mode, is likely to limit the learning expene~ce of students studying professlOnal communication. The potential of electronic media to offer a variety of types of interaction with other people is valuable for com,munication students, both technologically and il1terp~rsonally. Print-based learning m,atenals sent to distance sludents or posted on the Internet need to be carefully designed to take aCCOtult of different learning styles, to provide clear statements of learning objectives and outcomE~s, to integrate and focus readfug and aClion learning tasks, to suggQst a variety of learning activities" to give constructive feedback, to facilitate self assessment and to enhance acces~ibility and functionality through effective typ 0 graprucal layout. At present vve have found that it is umealistic to expect that students will be able to nlaster communication teclulology used in applied communication areas such as journalism by following web sites as self directed learners. Similarly, the development of communication managem,ent strategies for listening, participating in teams, managing llleetings, negotiating with colleagues and clients and working in cOlnplex organisations requires reflection on engaging in human interaction in real tinle and place. WIllie knowledge of com,munication theory can be learnt from published works" intenlalisation of applied conlmunication skills and mindiul communication" responses benefit from testing ideas and skills in consultation with other people and participating in experiential methods of learning (see Mohan, McGregor, Saunders, & Armee, 1997; Saunders, 1997a, 1997b, 1998), Ultimately flexible distance learning for profeSSional communication might consist of combinations of patterns of delivery of content and opportunities for practice that respect the personal learning goal') of adults and accommodate diverse cultures, lifestyles and responsibilities. Our experiences as com,munication educators E~lldorse the potential of converging m,odalilies inclu.ding electronic fonns of comlllunication to continue to provide Significant assistcmce to future initiatives in di'itance learning in profeSSional communication. 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