The AFT has long been engaged with issues related to technology and distance education in higher education, encouraging our locals to take an active role in shaping the way that educational technologies are implemented at their institutions. Our concern has always been that when working with technology, unions and institutions should ensure that:

• New technology makes sense educationally, truly advancing student learning and scholarship;

• Investments in technology make sense financially in a realistic cost/benefit analysis;

• Students and faculty have full access to new technology and related training; and,

• Faculty and staff rights, including their intellectual property rights, are protected.

Regarding distance education specifically, AFT took the lead in 2000 by establishing the following 14 standards of good practice to assist unions and institutions as they work together in developing distance education courses and programs.

Distance Education: Guidelines for Good Practice

1. Faculty must retain academic control

2. Faculty must be prepared to meet the special requirements of teaching at a distance

3. Course design should be shaped to the potentials of the medium

4. Students must fully understand course requirements and be prepared to succeed

5. Close personal interaction must be maintained

6. Class Size should be set through normal faculty channels

7. Courses should cover all material

8. Experimentation with a broad variety of subjects should be encouraged

9. Equivalent research opportunities must be provided

10. Student assessment should be comparable

11. Equivalent advisement opportunities must be offered

12. Faculty should retain creative control over use and re-use of materials

13. Full undergraduate degree programs should include same-time same-place coursework

14. Evaluation of distance coursework should be undertaken at all levels

Today, technology can be seen in almost every aspect of higher education, whether it is student services and human resources software, course management systems for on-site and distance courses, the increase in communication with students via e-mail, laptops in classrooms, hybrid classes, faculty in one state teaching for institutions in another via distance, or faster and greater access to research materials via the Internet.

How technology will affect higher education in the future is hard to predict, but there is no reason to believe that efforts to expand the use of technology will abate. Consequently, the AFT is looking broadly at how technology is influencing higher education as a whole, and our effort must be ongoing to keep pace with new developments. That focus is reflected in our recent publications.