Upon reflection of this week’s learning resources, I have concluded that there are remarkable beneficial impacts associated with an effective establishment of distance education. Dr. Simonson (Laureate, 2008) promotes the notion that maintaining and nurturing innovations is necessary following its initial acceptance by many. Moller, Huett, Foshay, and Coleman (2008) emphasize the opportunities presented by distance, or E-learning, that may not be available in a classroom or other traditional environment. It is imperative for educators to consider how learners use the distance learning platform in order to develop the most effective educational opportunities for all parties involved. Simonson (2000) presents the notion that online students should receive different but equivalent learning experiences through the incorporation of a variety of technologies. Simonson’s beliefs, in regards to the equivalency theory, signify the importance of incorporating technological resources to provide students with learning opportunities that encourage collaboration without being a member of the traditional classroom structure.
Huett, Moller, Foshay, and Coleman (2008) note that modest growth in distance education has been recognized in the K-12 environment. E-learning for students in the K-12 environment has often been associated with high school level courses to increase the course options available for students. Although this is an important aspect of distance/virtual learning, this is not the only benefit of this type of educational program. In order for effective programs to be created, teachers should be encouraged to take the initiative to provide information, ideas, and suggestions for those seeking to create distance learning programs. This type of program will offer benefits to all involved parties: educators, students, and parents/guardians when open and effective communication is in place.
Distance education will continue to be a vital component of educational services worldwide. Students primarily choose distance education programs due to convenience; however, this is not the only significant factor for distance education program developers. It is imperative that programs are created with specific goals and learning outcomes to ensure students receive an equal opportunity at learning. As time progresses, technological resources will also continue to grow at exponential rates. Learners participating in distance education programs will have a plethora of resources at their disposal for use in the learning environment. Seeking resources of this nature and becoming familiar with their uses will ensure students are successful in their distance learning endeavors. Increasing communication among learners through ongoing events intermixed with work processes is yet another benefit of web-based instruction (Moller, Foshay, and Huett, 2008). The potential opportunities and benefits of distance learning programs are significant when predicting the direction in which education is headed. Being able to connect with other learners in a global community increases the opportunities for collaboration and expansion of personal ideas and knowledge.
References:
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Coleman, C. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(5), 63-67. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0199-9
Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of distance education [Video program]. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5701364&Survey=1&47=9479398&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(3), 70-75. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0158-5
Simonson, M. (2000). Making Decisions: The Use of Electronic Technology in Online Classrooms. New Directions for Teaching & Learning, (84), 29. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
When you stated that educators must consider “how learners use the distance learning platform in order to develop the most effective educational activities,” I kept thinking of the opportunities that distance learning could provide to children in countries in which an education is only available to the most privileged citizens. We know that an education is the ticket out of poverty. My early childhood education background often leads me to question whether virtual education could really ever be an effective alternative for children. Just the word virtual makes me think of an abstract experience, which is contrary to the concrete phase that is an important part in the development of a child. When I saw the TED Talks video presentation by Sugata Mitra about his “Hole in the Wall” experiment (http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_shows_how_kids_teach_themselves.html ) The experiment, which is fascinating, discovered that children between the ages of six and thirteen have the capacity to teach themselves when they have access to online resources…even when they had never seen, let alone used a computer before. This makes me realize that distance learning can be a viable option even for young children. It might not always be the best or most ideal option, but at least it is an option that can open up the world to someone who is isolated from choices.
ReplyDeleteI agree that developers should know that convenience is but one of the factors that attracts students to distance education. It was the main reason I chose it when I enrolled in my undergraduate program in 2003; however, once I started the program, I recognized other benefits to completing my studies online. When I was looking for a postgraduate program, the "convenience" of online was of no consequence. In the eight years since I took my first online course, my motivations in selecting a program have dramatically changed. Program developers should ensure programs are rigorous, students will be challenged and motivated to learn through the programs, and that the learning will lead the student to attain results such as career advancement or a job in the field they are pursuing. Technology is a wonderful evolving innovation that makes those objectives attainable and for online educational institutions to remain competitive, they will have to provide those objectives better than everyone else!
ReplyDeleteAJ
@AJ...I agree that there should be a level of rigor and challenge that is carefully crafted by instructional designers. I have been looking at research about student engagement and one of the most powerful variables in one article that I read was the level of challenge. Technology alone is not enough to ensure student engagement, there needs to be a significant degree of challenge. Teachers must be skilled enough to find the right level of challenge (not too difficult, but not to easy) or they will lose interest of students.
ReplyDeleteCathy, comparing the Masters program I completed in November to the Ed.S. program here at Walden is like night and day as far as challenging goes. That program was monotonous for a person like me who needs variety and change in order to stay interested. While my first classes at Walden frustrated me non-end, what I realized at the end of them is they were mostly frustrating because I needed to adapt to having rigorous, thought-provoking and challenging assignments to complete in a variety of media. I am already more technology literate than I was prior to the start of those classes in early June, and by the end of this program, I will have learned far more than I could ever have imagined when I first chose this program.
ReplyDeleteAJ
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about having variety and change to challenge the students in order to keep them interested.
Val