Job Advert: DEANZ Communications Officer

DEANZ (The Distance Education Association of New Zealand) is a non-profit professional association for people working in the field of open, distance and networked education. We are seeking an energetic, proactive person to assist with communications.

Ideally you will have an education background, and excellent communication skills including experience in developing online communities.

This is a fixed term, part time position: 200 hours over 12 months

Your role is to promote DEANZ to its membership and to external groups and organisations.

Applications close 5pm Friday 28 March 2008.

Contact Sally Rawnsley, President, DEANZ, on sally.rawnsley@openpolytechnic.ac.nz for a job description.

Send your application which includes a brief CV and a letter of application to Sally Rawnsley.

New DEANZ Flier

Check out the DEANZ website:  http://www.deanz.org.nz/

An excerpt from Mark’s Opinion Piece in the flier . . .

I’ve been thinking. Why is it that we often shy away from the term ‘distance education’? Is it because it brings up connotations of correspondence-style learning, where pre-determined materials are sent to an anonymous learner, and assignments go to and from a faceless marker via post? Is it because we see ‘distance’ as a deficit term, something that speaks of a problem to overcome?

Or is it that the term ‘distance’ is used to encapsulate so much in education that it implies too broad a range of approaches to teaching and learning? Terminology is an important thing. It is what we use to name the intangible.

I still use the term ‘distance education’ when describing my practice, because it at once sums up what I am involved in. However it is important that I explain just what I mean when I use the term ‘distance education’. . . . .

From Mark Nichols. His blog: http://ebcnzer.blogspot.com/