With the spectacular achievements of technology in educational materials and delivery methods, "correspondence" may seem old-fashioned. However, even with the growing interest in new technologies, many students and faculty still demand the correspondence format. What exactly is correspondence study? In spite of the expanding number of entrepreneurial offerings and even some fly-by-night "diploma mills," correspondence study was and is a most convenient way of learning at a distance. In University System of Georgia Independent Study (USGIS), a course is authored by an academic, an individual who holds an advanced degree in the subject, who has approval of the academic department, and who expresses interest in teaching via distance learning. These instructors are given an orientation interview, supplemented by a handbook and an online faculty resources area that centers on the special instructional requirements of distance instruction. Beginning with a syllabus used with the classroom course to ensure coverage of the same course content, the faculty interprets the material into a set of distance learning modules - lessons for which, though assignments may vary, content and course standards remain aligned with the classroom experience. The question arises, then, how does correspondence study equate to classroom study since it provides slower reinforcement and seldom interaction with fellow students? As in proven principles that an individual with proper coaching can instruct himself or herself, the student is one-on-one with the instructor and can pose questions at any time via e-mail or written notes. Unlike the classroom setting, the student may work directly with the instructor, while exploring and shaping his/her own abilities to learn independently. Of great importance is the opportunity to improve one's self-reliance and the ability to learn from textual material, supplemented by an answer resource - the faculty. Asynchronous, print-based study offers an opportunity for the student to study at the time and place most suitable to him or her. Unlike telephone, televised, and even some online courses which require the student to be in a certain place at a certain time, the learner has the flexibility to find time within the workday or in the evening to focus on a learning unit. Many correspondence courses allow the student to register at any time and take up to a year to complete, eliminating the time "crunch" of the regular academic quarter or semester. Students find themselves of necessity intensively engaged in reading and writing about the subject area. For faculty, correspondence courses continue to provide the familiarity of the paper medium, allowing them as well the flexibility of grading "any time, any place." Without the pressure of preparing for and meeting scheduled classes, faculty have time to reflect on students' work and to write thoughtful responses; many report getting to know their students and their understanding of the subject well through these written lessons. Is correspondence study, then, a perfect medium for learning? Not necessarily. Because success is predicated on the student's independent ability to understand what he/she reads, to be able to express ideas in writing, and most of all, to be able to sustain motivation to complete tasks over a period of time, some students are simply served better by a more structured environment. Certain subject matter is more difficult to teach and more difficult to learn via distance, especially by reading and writing alone. Elements of learning such as group projects and discussions are often more easily accomplished in the traditional on-campus course. "Hybrid" correspondence courses may combine the best elements of face-to-face courses and distance courses, by using video and audio media or Web resources such as Internet links, e-mail, or even online connections with other students. These hybrid courses can permit both instructor and student to use as much or as little of these instructional media as the course requires, still enabling the student to focus on core instruction and specific content. Correspondence study can provide the links to multimedia and the Internet, but students are not dependent on them or distracted by them. The best of correspondence study has both academic standards and the learner's needs at center and may be an ideal learning medium for today's students.
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Sylvia R. McLaurin, l., University System of Georgia Independent Study (USGIS) coordinator of instructional development, and Nancy P. Thompson, r., department head, USGIS.
