Reviews the development phase of a collaborative inquiry initiative undertaken among staff in the Center for Distance Education, Athabasca University, Canada, to identify competencies required of master's-level experts in distance education. The competencies are clustered in four skill sets, and basic procedures for developing a taxonomy of…

Presents a dialog in five articles that address the issue of whether distance education is a discipline in its own right, primarily based on a 1986 article by Holmberg. Topics discussed include adult education; adult learning; conceptual models; and the roles of theory and research. (LRW)

Provides brief analysis of methods for conducting research on distance education. Topics discussed include education research in general; qualitative versus quantitative research; the distinction between research and evaluation; the concept of triangulation as a research method; component research; and a conceptual framework for distance education…

Describes a model of instructional theory relevant to individualized distance education that is based on Keller's Personalized System of Instruction (PSI), behavior analysis, and the instructional systems development model (ISD). Systems theory is emphasized, and ISD and behavior analysis are discussed as cybernetic processes. (LRW)