Transformation of Rural Teachers Earning Graduate Degrees by Distance

This study tells the stories of four successful graduate students within a cohort of learners who were earning graduate degrees in technology for education and training by distance. The students were practicing teachers in the Dakota Interactive Academic Link (DIAL) consortium. Courses were offered by the University of South Dakota, using videoconferencing through the statewide Digital Distance Network (DDN) and WebCT asynchronous discussions. Mezirow's 1991 theory of transformative learning suggests that adult learners may experience a transformational experience. Results showed that the four study participants experienced major changes in their way of thinking about learning and themselves. Conducting longitudinal studies in which adults are interviewed throughout their graduate school experience is recommended. Key Words: Transformative Learning, Distance Education, Adult Learners, Rural Environments, Cohorts, and Educational Technology Introduction This study tells the stories of four successful graduate students within a cohort of learners who were earning graduate degrees in technology for education and training by distance. The students were practicing teachers within the Dakota Interactive Academic Link (DIAL), a consortium formed in the 1990s to assist rural school districts in South Dakota. One problem faced by South Dakota has been a shortage of teachers with advanced degrees. For teachers who live in isolated areas, attending traditional degree programs while keeping their jobs is not realistic. In response, beginning in 2000 the Division of Technology for Education and Training (TET) within the School of Education at the University of South Dakota (USD) offered two graduate degree programs by distance: a master's degree for teachers and a specialist degree for those who wanted to pursue leadership opportunities. For the master's degree, two of the required courses were conducted by Dakota State University (DSU) while the remaining courses were taught by TET faculty at USD. The specialist degree was aimed toward those who already had masters' degrees and were interested in seeking leadership positions in education or training. Both degrees gave students theoretical and practical knowledge of educational technology and its impact on schools and businesses. Students studied instructional design, learning theory, integrating technology into curriculum, multimedia skills, and organizational change. Faculty emphasized a constructivist approach to learning in which students reflected on their experiences through papers and projects, and participated online in the distance learning community of other DIAL students. Twenty-five working K-12 teachers and administrators from across the state signed up to be part of the USD DIAL cohort. Most of these students had not taken classes for many years, yet had years of valuable teaching experience. Although ages ranged from students in their 20s to those in their 50s, most were women approaching mid-life. Technology experience tended to be fairly limited, although the interest in learning about using technology to improve teaching was strong. Some of the students had previously participated in summer workshops for K-12 teachers launched by then Governor William Janklow. These included the Technology for Teaching and Learning Academy (TTL) and the Distance Teaching and Learning Academy (DTL). Although a rural state, all of South Dakota's school systems have been wired with high speed Internet access. Thus, it was possible to offer graduate distance courses using a combination of videoconferencing through the statewide Digital Distance Network (DDN) and online discussions. The school systems around the state provided the DDN sites for students to attend classes. Four to six sites were made available for each session, and students traveled to the nearest site. In the beginning of the DIAL program, classes met over DDN every other week: In later semesters they met less often, as students indicated they preferred online learning. …