This Best Practices Manual is “developed from research” and will cover “content, technology, assessment, communication, classroom management, instructional design and delivery, as well as items of class interaction to include diversity, globalization, culture, research integrity, flexibility, and rigor (Frese, 2006, p. 11).”  The intention was to create a Best Practices Manual that each individual on the team can utilize in his or her professional lives.  The authors were committed to creating a unique and usable manual that could be specifically adapted to their areas of expertise and experience, as well as broadly used by others involved in the creation and practice of distance education.  

The process of creating this Best Practices manual as a collaborative work brought varied experiences from the authors.  Initially, the focus was on culture and diversity, and each author brought assets to the process.  One of the authors had worked internationally in an auditing position with an American based company.  With knowledge of other cultures, and the rigors of standards required in the auditing process, the author brought insight into the requirements for a manual that would service a global distance education market.  The author’s experience then translated to training and development and this was in turn, transferred to the manual.

Another author teaches in an elementary school in San Antonio, Texas, that is predominantly one culture.  However, this author’s experience in curriculum development and the focus of preparing children to live in other dominant cultures, brought attention to learning that is not only lifelong, but worldwide.  The belief is that the gap between cultural domination will narrow, while diversity may be enhanced and valued (Manning, 2006).

As an instructor at the college level in Early Childhood Education and Child Development, another author must instruct a global audience of learners on culture and diversity in order that their individual businesses in any part of the world will expand, and that the children that they serve will thrive (Manning, 2006).  Nurturing learning environments at all levels of education and at all levels of design are crucial to the support of all learning, whether face to face or at a distance (Melland & Volden, 2001).

Finally, the last member of the team lives in the American Southwest where culturally diverse populations are the norm with Native Americans, Latin Americans, Asians, and others.  The author’s work with behavioral health needs, especially among the working poor, has given her experience in addressing the needs of the individuals without stigmatizing them further from within their culture.  This experience brings another perspective that can be applied on a global level when creating best practices (Manning, 2006).

The nature, history, and characteristics of distance education were key points of consideration when creating this manual.  As learner needs are paramount, and their needs are as diverse as the areas of the world and the cultures they embody, the authors focused on all aspects of distance education, from design and course content to delivery and assessment.  The authors’ goal was to create a manual adaptable to any community instructor, in any community of the world (Manning, 2006; Ryan, 2005).

Finally, the authors are presenting this Best Practices Manual after virtually experiencing many of these applications themselves, primarily that of communication.  Although the authors (Manning, Morgan-Campola, Price, & Wedel, 2006) enjoyed a history of communication as a team, inclusion and consideration of others in the design process became paramount.  The realization that an invitation to specialists, faculty, students, and others would not always involve face to face communication, and that the needs of learners in communicating with peers, instructors, administrators, supervisors and others must be seamlessly met, meant that the best practices created must be easily implemented, and clearly explained (Manning, 2006; Webb, Jones, Barker, & van Schaik, 2004).

When considering the questions that were listed as guides for this manual (Frese, 2006), the authors found that each had positions that were worth advocating.  Primarily, the authors considered how each could individually utilize this information in their professional lives, how easy/difficult it would be to implement individually, and what format it would take to increase its usability.  This experience provided insight to the process that administrations, staff, and individual instructors would use in implementing distance learning in various levels of course work (Cook & Dupras, 2004).

Although the authors have a sound, respected relationship with various strengths among them, it was a difficult decision to make in regards to the delivery method. It became evident that this team experience would transfer to each individual profession, while giving a collaborative voice to the manual with the realization that the Best Practices content, if well researched and constructed could be adapted to any format that the authors individually wished to apply.

Understanding the history of distance education is an important element in creating a Best Practices Manual.  The roots of the concept, and the trends that follow, are important indicators for any author(s) to consider when beginning a project of this magnitude.  The historical implications are also an important component for the reader of the manual, as the historical perspective of distance education is inherent in understanding the progression and innovation of this learning format.