Examining the views of the administrators working at the university for the education models used in the distance education process in higher education

This research was carried out to examine the university administrators' opinions about education models used in higher education distance education. The relationship between the administrators' perspectives on distance education models and the variables of gender, seniority, status, and branch was examined in line with the main purpose. The research is a phenomenology study based on the qualitative paradigm. The population of the research consists of 131 administrators working at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University. The sample comprises 93 administrators who voluntarily participated in the research. A questionnaire form developed by the researcher was used as the data collection tool. The data were analyzed in SPSS 23 program. The Chi-Square fit analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the research, it has been determined that there is a relationship between the higher education administrators' perspectives of distance education models and the variables of seniority, status, and branch. Two different results were obtained in the analysis for the gender variable. While determining a consistency between the general perspectives of distance education models and the gender variable, there was no consistency between the gender variable and the item for finding exams reliable for student assessment in distance education models. It has been found that administrators regard the two-way education model as the most effective one, while they consider the asynchronous education model as the least effective distance education model, and they think that the goals and achievements of distance education models are not met at the same level in all models. It has been observed that whether getting training on distance education and having distance education experience affect the participants' perspectives of distance education models. When the administrators' perspectives of distance education communication tools are examined, it has been concluded that the computer is regarded as the most effective tool, while the letter is seen as the least effective distance education communication method. Regarding the reliability problems of measurement in distance education, the most important problem is that there is no surveillance mechanism to prevent cheating. Also, it has been determined that the least important reliability problem is not using a rubric in the evaluation of open-ended questions, homework, and projects.