WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education

Started in 1997, WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus (WAOL) consists of a consortium of 34 community colleges around Washington State to provide asynchronous online learning. WAOL bears many of the features of a loosely coupled organization with its geographically dispersed frontline instructors, fragm...

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Autor principal:	Shalin Hai-Jew
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Athabasca University Press 2004
Materias:	Special aspects of education LC8-6691
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/286db59559ee4e55a58222d7fde9aa59
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:286db59559ee4e55a58222d7fde9aa592021-12-02T19:20:55ZWashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education10.19173/irrodl.v5i2.1871492-3831https://doaj.org/article/286db59559ee4e55a58222d7fde9aa592004-08-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/187https://doaj.org/toc/1492-3831 Started in 1997, WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus (WAOL) consists of a consortium of 34 community colleges around Washington State to provide asynchronous online learning. WAOL bears many of the features of a loosely coupled organization with its geographically dispersed frontline instructors, fragmented external environment, modularity of courses and supervision, and its use of enhanced leadership and technology to communicate a culture. Recent surveys of its administration, instructors, and staff found disparities in various constituencies’ perspectives on the organization’s culture, decision-making, values, brand or reputation, communications, and WAOL’s authorizing environment. Research suggests that WAOL benefits from some aspects of loose coupling: greater adaptive abilities and responsiveness to the State’s college system; “fast” course development and launching; and isolated breakdowns. There is, however, a persistent difficulty in conveying a cohesive culture. There is a perception of WAOL’s invisibility among its varied constituencies. This organization is at a crossroads, with the threat of colleges disconnecting from this consortium. WAOL should redefine its direction and purpose, such as coupling with local universities to provide not only associates degrees but full Baccalaureate and/ or Masters degrees. It may strengthen its position by improving learner supports, publicizing its decisions, creating a stronger sense of virtual community among the instructors (as in its recent creation of an online community for instructors), increased participative decision-making and use of line faculty and staff insights, and greater course varieties. Keywords: leadership, culture, organizations, organizational culture, consortiums, partnership, disintermediation, virtual organization, loosely coupled organization, distance learning, virtual leadership, virtual teams, virtual culture, technology mediation, community college, higher education, email communications, online student servicesShalin Hai-JewAthabasca University PressarticleSpecial aspects of educationLC8-6691ENInternational Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 5, Iss 2 (2004)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Special aspects of education LC8-6691
spellingShingle	Special aspects of education LC8-6691 Shalin Hai-Jew WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education
description	Started in 1997, WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus (WAOL) consists of a consortium of 34 community colleges around Washington State to provide asynchronous online learning. WAOL bears many of the features of a loosely coupled organization with its geographically dispersed frontline instructors, fragmented external environment, modularity of courses and supervision, and its use of enhanced leadership and technology to communicate a culture. Recent surveys of its administration, instructors, and staff found disparities in various constituencies’ perspectives on the organization’s culture, decision-making, values, brand or reputation, communications, and WAOL’s authorizing environment. Research suggests that WAOL benefits from some aspects of loose coupling: greater adaptive abilities and responsiveness to the State’s college system; “fast” course development and launching; and isolated breakdowns. There is, however, a persistent difficulty in conveying a cohesive culture. There is a perception of WAOL’s invisibility among its varied constituencies. This organization is at a crossroads, with the threat of colleges disconnecting from this consortium. WAOL should redefine its direction and purpose, such as coupling with local universities to provide not only associates degrees but full Baccalaureate and/ or Masters degrees. It may strengthen its position by improving learner supports, publicizing its decisions, creating a stronger sense of virtual community among the instructors (as in its recent creation of an online community for instructors), increased participative decision-making and use of line faculty and staff insights, and greater course varieties. Keywords: leadership, culture, organizations, organizational culture, consortiums, partnership, disintermediation, virtual organization, loosely coupled organization, distance learning, virtual leadership, virtual teams, virtual culture, technology mediation, community college, higher education, email communications, online student services
format	article
author	Shalin Hai-Jew
author_facet	Shalin Hai-Jew
author_sort	Shalin Hai-Jew
title	WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education
title_short	WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education
title_full	WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education
title_fullStr	WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education
title_full_unstemmed	WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education
title_sort	washingtononline virtual campus: infusing culture in dispersed web-based higher education
publisher	Athabasca University Press
publishDate	2004
url	https://doaj.org/article/286db59559ee4e55a58222d7fde9aa59
work_keys_str_mv	AT shalinhaijew washingtononlinevirtualcampusinfusingcultureindispersedwebbasedhighereducation
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WashingtonOnline Virtual Campus: Infusing Culture in Dispersed Web-Based Higher Education

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