A dissertation submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Psychology and Technology David O. McKay School of Education Brigham Young University, May 2003. Abstract: Internet-based distance education is becoming an increasingly accepted and important part of U.S. higher education, creating a unique opportunity to explore new models of effective education that take advantage of the unique strengths of the technology. This dissertation documents a new model for Internet-based distance education, and identifies the underlying principles of effective education incorporated into that model. The model has been developed over the last four years in the form of a new university, Western Governors University (WGU), and has been modified and refined through a program of action research. The key underlying principles of the model include an emphasis on individualizing learning, made possible by a focus on measuring competencies, facilitated by modular and interactive courseware, and strengthened by a program of active mentoring. The advantages of learning opportunities independent of time and place are explained, along with the importance of creating learning communities and pacing elements to support and encourage student progress and completion. Other principles include the concepts behind institutional sharing of courses and other learning resources, and the advantages in online education of differentiating and specializing faculty roles. Finally, principles of measurement and evaluation are applied to both assessment of student learning, and to an institutional program for continuous improvement. The presentation of the model and principles in this dissertation is designed to be helpful to all those with an interest in improving the quality of online distance-delivered higher education.
From the Foreword: This book about WGU's opening decade is, of course, the story of how the university has implemented its founders' visions. It is also, however, the story of an innovation, how that innovation arose and unfolded, its mistakes and failures, what it learned from them, and how ultimately it prevailed. Innovation is never easy, perhaps especially educational innovation is never easy. Nine hundred years of tradition lean against it. In countless ways the code of right practice, established by generations of bureaucracy and enforced by all the conventional structures of modern educational life - from the definition of terms and credits to financial aid regulations - line up to force compliance with accepted orthodoxy. That WGU survived at all is extraordinary. That it remained true to the heart of its mission, created a unique learning model, earned multiple accreditations, and today serves more than seven thousand enrolled students is a story worth telling. This is it.
Video from the July 13, 2012 All-Staff meeting celebrating the 15th Anniversary of WGU. This video features an overview of WGU's history as well as excerpts from interviews with (in order of appearance) the Honorable Michael O. Leavitt, the Honorable Roy Romer, the Honorable Jim Geringer, Scott McNealy, Dr. Robert W. Mendenhall, Dr. Janet Azbell Schnitz, and Dr. Douglas "Chip" Johnstone.
Video from the Thursday, July 13, 2017 All-Staff meeting celebrating the 20th Anniversary of WGU. This video features an overview of WGU's history as well as excerpts from interviews with (in order of appearance) the Honorable Michael O. Leavitt, Dr. Douglas "Chip" Johnstone, Pat Partridge, Bill Simmons, the Honorable Jim Geringer, Dell Loy Hansen, he Honorable Roy Romer, Dr. Janet Schnitz, Dr. Robert W. Mendenhall, David Simmons, Heather Saulnier, David Grow, and Scott Pulsipher.
Video from the July 14, 2017 WGU 20th Anniversary event. This video features the Honorable Mike Leavitt, Dr. Chip Johnstone, Scott Pulsipher, Dell Loy Hansen, Dr. Janet Schnitz, Pat Partridge, David Simmons, David Grow, and Bill Simmons.