Leadership and Distance Education

Leadership and Distance Education

Stephanie A. Barbee
University of Maryland University College

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Leadership and Distance Education

Introduction
Leadership is an emerging role in DE (distance education) that has been recognized and
encouraged, as it is clear schools are in need of leaders who are able to reflect on their
experiences and can internalize understandings about their own capacity to lead (Beaudoin,
2004). Leadership in a DE environment will be instrumental as the distinctions between
traditional and non-traditional education become further blurred. Beaudoin (2004) states that
there is need for leaders able to function effectively in both contexts, and because many
distance educators are among the few who have already moved within these overlapping circles,
they are well positioned to play key roles (p. 75). Typically, leaders have a diverse set of traits
that make them successful, but DE leadership will require an even more distinct set of attributes
that best embody an effective leader. These universal attributes will prepare leaders to better
manage the challenges that arise in such a dynamic field. The first section of this paper describes
the following five key attributes for leadership in DE: the ability to communicate, the ability to
motivate, the ability to understand and work with technology, the ability to manage change, and
the ability to analyze and adapt. The second section examines challenges to leading in a DE
organization and will identify relevant topics presented to students in the following graduatelevel DE course: DEPM604- Management and Leadership in DE and E-Learning.
Part 1: Attributes for Effective Leadership
The ability to communicate is necessary in all aspects of the professional world, but is
even more important when dealing in virtual environments. Oftentimes meaning and emotion
are not easily conveyed through online correspondence, which makes this style of
communication very complex. Communication is at the heart of DE, and new communication

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technologies that enable networking, socializing, and the sharing of ideas with others helps to
provide the key elements of a successful DE system (Eby & Yuzer, 2015). According to
Beaudoin (2004), DE requires teamwork, partnerships, and the ability to effectively
communicate plans, procedures, and solutions in line with a solid vision. In positions of
leadership, honesty and communication go hand-in-hand and can either hurt or help a leaders
success. If your people believe that their leaders are trying to hide or disguise the truth, they
will invent their own versions of events to fill in the knowledge gaps (Pietersen, 2002).
Ultimately, a leaders actions and their ability to communicate effectively will set the tone for the
quality of relationships and the openness of communication in a DE organization.
The ability to motivate is another attribute leaders in DE organizations should strive to
acquire. Considered a form of empowering leadership in comparison to direct leadership, the
empowering leader encourages initiative, self-confidence, self-goal setting, positive opportunity
thinking, and self-problem solving (Sims & Yun, 2009). Communicating a vision and inspiring
others is not enough, as leaders must be transactional leaders, and able to corral groups together
to achieve goals, can utilize knowledge and expertise effectively, and are able to manage the
unique elements specific to DE. According to Sims and Yun (2009), the transactional leader
enters into an exchange relationship with others; they influence through the dispensation of
rewards in exchange for compliance; they represent the most popular current view of leadership;
they are characterized by a capacity to create a highly motivating and absorbing vision of the
future; and they have the capability to energize others to pursue the vision.
The ability to analyze and adapt is especially important for leadership in DE. Beaudoin
(2004) agrees that a key attribute of effective leadership in DE is a leaders diagnostic abilities,
allowing leaders to correctly identify what needs to be accomplished and take action to rectify

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any problem at hand. This attribute is critical in the application of a situational leadership
approach as well as path-goal theory, which also requires the diagnosis of a situation prior to
leadership intervention (Hersey, et al., 2008). Even if a leader is able to correctly diagnosis a
situation using a situational approach, the leader must remain flexible and be willing to change
leadership style approaches based on an ever-changing environment.
The ability to manage change is another crucial attribute for any leader, especially in DE.
In an organization that hinges on something as fluid as technology, change is inevitable; and
dealing with this successfully can be challenging, complex, and rewarding all at the same time.
Developing a strategic plan for change is not always feasible due to the constant change and
developments involved in DE. Instead, leaders must be able to alter their way of thinking about
change in a way that reflects the unprecedented, uncertain, open-ended, complex, and flexible
nature of the technologies and organizational initiatives involved (Orlikowski & Hofman, 1997).
This attribute emits a sense of confidence regarding change that is contagious to all involved in
an environment where so many are naturally resistant to change. Dent and Goldberg (1999) state
that management must foresee and neutralize any resistance that may occur in order for change
to be successful, and that alleviating the following fears will make way for successful change:
peoples fear of poor outcomes, peoples fears of the unknown, and the realization of faults with
change overlooked by management.
The ability to understand and work with technology is the final attribute necessary for
successful leadership in DE. The lines between informational technology and instructional
technology are becoming increasingly blurred, and leadership in DE requires one to be fluent in
informational and communication technologies, as well as in online learning and networking
platforms. According to Miller et al. (2013), the rapid pace of technological and social change

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is forcing employers to put greater emphasis on top-down and bottom-up innovation to stay
competitive, and knowledge is no longer an end in itself but is increasingly a lifelong and a justin-time experience (p. 11). Leaders must be experienced technologists; experts in all realms of
DE technology and innovation in order to adequately relate visions and intentions in a way that
supports the above mentioned attributes. An important part of leadership when dealing with
technology is the ability to provide faculty and staff with the resources they need to be creative,
productive, and more efficient through the use of technology (Bower & Hardy, 2004).
Part 2: Leadership Challenges in Distance Education
According to Garrison (2000), education will continue to see the emergence of a
postmodern era of DE characterized by increased diversity and choice, and such development is
made possible by new communication technologies and overall success of established DE
organizations. As a result, a challenge for the field of DE involves the construction of innovative
theories that address specific components and concerns of postindustrial DE (Garrison, 2000).
As a result, DE will continue to be molded based on assumptions, principles, and characteristics
of a transactional model. New theoretical frameworks, models, and concepts will need to be
developed for effective DE pedagogy that embraces technological advances and innovation.
Garrison (2000) suggests the creation of DE theory that informs and explains asynchronous
collaborative learning representative of the paradigmatic shift DE is currently facing. Leaders
are currently addressing this challenge by focusing on the needs and concerns of a new and
diverse audience without compromising their values or the educational quality present within so
many DE institutions.

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While the rise of new, more efficient technologies is a benefit to DE, the constant barrage
of the latest technologies is also a cause for concern for DE leaders. According to Paul and
Brindley (1996), new technologies are often introduced without consideration of their impact on
the organizational culture, with detrimental and unintended consequences for DE universities.
This challenge, that was present even decades ago, continues to plague leaders as they attempt to
find and implement technologies that enhance DE programs. Technologies change rapidly, and
while costs are coming down quickly, the most sophisticated are often very expensive and
difficult to implement (Paul & Brindley, 2006). In addition, new technologies enhance
competition between public and private sectors, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find
applications of technology that facilitate interaction over isolation, critical thinking over rote
learning, and independent learning skills rather than passive dependency on one-way
communications (Paul & Brindley, 1996). Even more, universities must utilize the research and
implementation of technologies in a way that supports faculty and is resistant to dangers.
The final challenge addressed in this paper involves evaluations of online learning
programs. With technology continuously changing the face of education, it is difficult to
evaluate the effectiveness of a DE program. Leaders often struggle to manage evaluative
measures from the view of education as operating for the public good (traditional model) and
the view of education operating for the private individual good or employer good (Hanna,
2003). Furthermore, evaluations of online learning often occur in the context of a politically
loaded debate about whether such programs are worth the investment and how much funding is
needed to run a high-quality program; about whether online learning really provides students
with high-quality learning opportunities; and about how to compare online and traditional
approaches (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). With this in mind, DE leaders still must think

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about student engagement, high-quality course access, and an effective, experienced staff. Trial
and error have made evaluating DE programs easier over the past few decades, but leaders are
still developing evaluative measures based on varying degrees of internal capacity and funding
available to the institution. Ultimately, leaders must choose evaluative measures carefully, based
on the purpose of the evaluation and the specific set of research questions they are attempting to
answer (U.S. Department of Education, 2008).
DEPM 604 provided an overview of the importance of leadership in DE and offered
students tools necessary for DE leadership in the face of current and future challenges. Whether
seasoned leaders or leaders-to-be, this course identified key topics that include, but are not
limited to, the following: traits and skills, leadership in decision-making groups, dynamics,
followership, transformational leadership, organizational culture, and change management.
While all topics are equally informative, a few stood out as fundamental for leading in a DE
organization. The topic of leadership and change was especially significant and challenged
students to investigate challenges, change management, and resistance to change. Change is
inevitable, and as much as DE has evolved over the last twenty years, it is likely to transform
even more in the next twenty years. Learning how to deal with change and manage those
resistant to change will prove invaluable to leaders in any career field.
Another aspect of this course that emphasizes DE leadership was the group project. The
project required teams to choose a leader and compile a presentation based on an interview with
a well-known DE professional. Regardless of how well or how disastrous group dynamics were,
there is no doubt this project allowed students the opportunity to learn how to set aside cultural,
personality, leadership, and stylistic differences in order to produce a successful end product.
Despite the outcome of each project, students were given the gift of a one-on-one with someone

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fully invested in the growth of DE leadership. The project also required each student to describe
the groups dynamics in an analysis that emphasized leadership roles within the group. This
allowed students to reflect on their own contributions to the project, as well as the interactions
between leaders and the remaining members. This gave students a chance to reflect on the
process, relationships, and the overall assignment as it relates to the content learned throughout
the course. Ultimately, DEPM 604 has been an invaluable addition to the Masters of Distance
Education program, and offered a wealth of information relating to leadership both in DE and
everyday life.
Conclusion
So many articles have been written about DE, and remarkably so few have been written
about leadership in DE. According to Marcus (2014), leadership in DE requires characteristics
and attributes present in all leaders, but also requires special abilities and insights regarding the
grey area where traditional and DE institutions converge. The ability for success places a great
deal more demand on DE leaders, which include the abilities to communicate, motivate, analyze
and adapt, manage change, and understand and work with technology. These skills and attributes
are necessary to manage any concerns or challenges facing DE now and in the future. The
characteristics, requirements, and actions needed to be effective leaders in DE are all but clear,
and there is still a long way to go before an adequate definition of these aspects are identified
(Marcus, 2014). While DE leadership is not yet defined specifically, by embracing situational
leadership as a motivated and proactive leader, it is hoped that the future of DE will be filled
with professionals who embrace this evolving role and inject their passion into this dynamic and
ever-changing field.

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References
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