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The rhetoric of distance education
DISSERTATION

, Texas Woman's University, United States

Texas Woman's University . Awarded

Abstract

Higher education is currently undergoing a paradigm shift, moving from the medieval model to a newer model based on the characteristics of distance education. This change can best be observed in the rhetoric of the documents associated with distance education: course materials, promotional materials; theoretical and historical studies; instructions for course development. The archaeological approach used by Michel Foucault in his histories of the prison, the clinic, and the asylum sets the precedent for such a study. The first two chapters provide a theoretical and historical background for the study of the rhetorical artifacts. Chapter 3 considers the earliest form of distance education, he correspondence course. This chapter emphasizes the growth of the sense of audience in the course materials, the advertisements, and teacher comments. Chapter 4 traces the growth of telecourses, including live interactive, broadcast, and non-broadcast, with an emphasis on the addition of new audiences. Chapter 5 examines the rhetoric of online courses within the context of the general optimism about computer-mediated instruction. These courses move distance education from the “invisible” to the “visible.” Chapter 6 assesses the current state of the paradigm shift and makes predictions for the future.

Citation

Brown, H. The rhetoric of distance education. Ph.D. thesis, Texas Woman's University. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from .

This record was imported from ProQuest on October 23, 2013. [Original Record]

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