Art education faculty and administrators experiences with and perceptions of distance education: A mixed methods study

This study collected data on art education faculty and administrator experiences with and perceptions of distance education. Based on researching distance education courses and degree options, I determined that art education has been slower to embrace distance education in comparison to other departments. After contacting Admissions Offices at over 60 colleges and universities in the United States, I learned that only one offers a distance-delivered art education degree, which is the Department of Art Education at The Ohio State University, and few schools offer art education courses via distance.; I used a mixed methods approach to collect data. To collect the data, I sent a survey to art education faculty and administrators. Next, I conducted one-on-one interviews to build a case study of the leading online program in the field of art education. The survey recipients included 138 art education faculty and 44 administrators from 60 schools and the goal was to learn more about their experiences with and perceptions of distance education. I received responses from 33 of the 60 colleges and universities surveyed, representing fifty-five percent participation. Twenty-eight percent of faculty and eighteen percent of administrators responded.; Since The Ohio State University Department of Art Education offers the only online degree in art education, I conducted interviews with eight faculty members and one administrator who had experience with this program to build a case study. The data collected from the interviews added a more detailed perspective.; Reviewed from a grounded theory perspective, I analyzed the data to identify themes and make recommendations for the field. The major interests cited by survey and interview participants in distance education were the desire to reach diverse, multi-cultural or underserved audiences, and the desire to deliver a rich educational experience to students. The respondents described their teaching philosophy as aligned with constructivism. Generally, art education faculty perceived the quality of education via distance to be inferior to face-to-face classroom teaching. In comparison, faculty interviewed for the case study reported having positive experiences with distance education.; The key themes that emerged were constructivism, connected support and technology. Respondents identified additional time to teach, reduced workload and recognition as significant motivators. In comparison, barriers were time and level of technology knowledge. This study will help art education administrators introduce distance education courses or online degrees to their department. It can also provide guidance and insight to a faculty member who is interested in creating distance education courses.