Argues there is a need to support traditional face-to-face teachers who are thrust into the public arena of distance education and suggests adoption of a team approach where subject matter and instructional design experts are equally responsible for distance education course development. Factors influencing this team approach are discussed. (MBR)

As a regional institution serving the needs of 11 different island nations of the South West Pacific, the University of the South Pacific (USP) is, along with its on-campus face-to-face teaching activity, deeply committed to and reliant on distance study methods. Both of these activities at the university are the principal responsibility of a…

Argues for the development of group intervention techniques to improve the efficacy of course teams in the preparation of distance education materials, reviews recent commentaries on course teams and discusses related issues, and conludes with recommendations to enrich the quality of course team life and output. (Author/EAO)