ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on two issues: firstly, on the staffing categories typically found in distance education systems, and secondly, on the determination of academic staffing levels in distance education systems and the means of equating the workload of those who develop distance materials and teach distance students with that of conventional teaching staff. In considering staffing requirements one also needs to distinguish between the staff required to support the activities of the system, and those required to support the activities actually carried out by the institution. The educational model underlying a distance education system is also crucial to the definition of staff roles. The vast majority of distance education systems prepare some educational materials. The formula approaches discussed can help to determine in broad terms the number of staff that may be required to staff a distance education system.