The Future of Distance Learning: Reflection

As more educational institutions and students become involve in distance education, the perceptions of distance education as a viable alternative to face-to-face instruction and as an effective course delivery will strengthen.  In the near future, as more students view technology as useful in everyday life, the more favorable the perception about the effectiveness of teaching and learning in an online environment.  According to Dr. George Siemens (2011) the growing acceptance of distance education is fueled by (a) the increase in online communication, (b) practical experience with new tools, (c) a growing sense of comfort with online discourse, and (d) the ability to communicate with diverse and global groups of likeminded people like in education.

In a more distant future, I see distance education as fulfilling the need for an individualized learning environment to meet students’ needs.  No longer will students be limited to the choices afforded by the physical locations of educational institutions, instead, students will be able to attend classes that train them in areas necessary for their career growth and job requirements without the need to travel (ConnectEd, 2011).  Consequently, new courses, new curriculum and even new degrees will become available to students who wish to learn, the article continues.  I think the aim of distance education will be to prepare future professionals through an excellent educational experience.

                As an instructional designer and a positive force for the improvement about the perception of distance education I would always strive to design an educational environment that enhances the learning experience for students.  I would provide a learning environment where students are active participants in the learning process and not merely passive recipients of knowledge.  I would also provide a contextual learning environment where students are able to apply their newly acquired knowledge and a learning environment where students take ownership of their learning.  In designing these learning environments I would follow the sound principles and guidelines of instructional design.  ID professionals can play a key role in making sure that distance education initiatives truly serve the needs of students, and in this way, protecting students by promoting solid distance learning practices based on research and theory (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008).

                In addition to being on top of research and theory on distance education, I must also keep up to date with existing and emerging technologies.  I think that technology makes learning more efficient and enriches the learning process.  Through the use of tools and technologies familiar to learners, educators may be able to foster high levels of learner engagement required for effective learning (National Survey of Student Engagement, 2007, pp. 7-8), cited by George Siemens (2008).  I do believe that instructional designers possess the necessary qualities to transform the learner and society, and ultimately distance education itself to reflect the value and quality of education.

References:

Siemens, G. (2011). Video Program: The Future of Distance Education.  Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved on 2/22/2011 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4744647&Survey=1&47=6426074&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1.

ConnectEd (2011).  What is the Future of Distance Learning? Walden University.  Retrieved on 2/23/11 from http://connected.waldenu.edu/curriculum-resources/technology-in-the-classroom/item/772-what-is-future-of-distance-learning.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63-67.

Siemens, G. (2008). Learning and Knowing in Networks: Changing roles for Educators and Designers. Retrieved on 2/23/11 from http://www.tskills.it/userfiles/Siemens.pdf.

The Impact of Open Source

I decided to review the MIT Open Courseware for this assignment.  The URL is http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/.  More specifically, I took a look at the Linear Algebra unit from the Mathematics section located at http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-06-linear-algebra-spring-2010/.  The Linear Algebra unit was offered in Spring 2010, and contains helpful resources that students may also find available in a traditional brick-and-mortal university setting.  Some of these resources are lecture notes, assignments and corresponding solutions, and study groups.  Additionally, because of my familiarity with the subject I wanted to see how technology, multimedia, and instructional strategies where incorporated into instruction so that maybe I can integrate similar approaches in my lessons as well.  I was terribly disappointed on that regard.

The courseware seems designed to supplement face-to-face instruction instead of a distance education setting.  Even though I felt mesmerized by Professor Strang 40 minute lecture on the geometry of linear equations, I doubt that many other distance learners would share my opinion or my prefer learning style.  The course seems to be a perfect example of Zemsky and Massy’s cycle 1 of their e-learning adoption cycles.  In this cycle, faculty introduce basic-level technologies into their course, such as e-mail, web resources, and PowerPoint slides, without fundamentally altering their instructional strategies (Zemsky, & Massy, 2004), cited by Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek.

The courseware web site is well organized in terms of user-friendliness, and navigability.  For example, items such as syllabus, calendar, exams, tools, related resources, course materials, and video lectures are easily and strategically located within the web page.  The tools and related resources areas offer flash animations and demonstrations which help visualize complex concepts, links to other resourceful websites (e. g. http://www.mathworks.com/products/demos/), and additional supplementary documents.  However, these resources would have served a more effective instructional purpose had they been incorporated into each video lecture.  These interactive resources could have been embedded directly into segmented video lectures so as to effectively illustrate the content.  Better planning by course designers in the use of media to deliver the instructional message could have resulted in an enjoyable distance education learning experience.

The course appears also to lack other essential elements necessary for a successful distance learning experience.  For example, the course does not take into consideration learners’ needs in terms of cognitive abilities and learning styles.  The instructor can present complex cognitive context in ways that give learners various tags for understanding the fundamental concepts, and thereby reach a wider range of individuals (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).  Also, the course lacks specific teaching strategies so as to engage the learners in active learning.  To avoid the “talking head” approach, the instructor needs to de-emphasize the informative part of the instruction for more discovery of information, (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).  In conclusion, the MIT course seems to be a perfect example of “dumping “ a face-to-face course onto the web; little regard appears to be given to planning and designing a distance education course by the institution or the course designers.

Reference:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and Learning at a Distance. Pearson,4^th ed., Boston, MA.

Selection of Distance Learning Technology

I have chosen to talk discuss a solution to Example 1: Collaborative Training Environment.

Simply stated, the use of a wiki page will allow these staff members to share information, collaborate on documents and files, and participate in discussions, all done asynchronously, securely, and efficiently.  I can attest to Wikis’ functionality, practicality, and usability for this type of online collaboration among trainees.  Added advantages include the fact that a wiki page can be accessed from any Internet-ready computer by anyone with minimal competency level in computer literacy, and a moderate level of document editing knowledge.

A few course ago I was a member of a group called Learning by Design.  We were in charge of asynchronously designing a training module on the use Google Docs.  Even though these staff members will not be creating a training module, they will be collaborating, sharing, and discussing much the same way Learning by Design was able to successfully accomplish.  To preview the finished product click on this link http://eidt6100group3.wikispaces.com/. 

A wiki can be an excellent tool for collaborative online writing assignments and group activities compiling information in a single online resource (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2009).  Additionally, a wiki is a collection of web pages that are linked to each other, and reflect the collaborative works of many authors (Beldarrain, 2006).  As an instructional designer I highly recommend the use of a wiki because it provides the adequate venue for staff members to securely share information, to upload and edit different types of files such as audio, video, images, MS Word documents, to participate and collaborate on documents, and to constructively discuss their progress and/or concerns. 

In addition to permitting the necessary forum for the delivery of content-rich media, collaboration by staff members, and the accessibility afforded by the Internet, a wiki page provides a history of participation by each member.  Therefore, I will be able to view and monitor the history logs and see who has spent time and effort in the training workshop.  By reviewing the history logs I can potentially identify problem areas with the training workshop and maybe assists those in need of additional support.  In short, as the instructional designer in charge of implementing the training workshop for staff members, I recommend the use of a wiki page.

In addition to the sample wiki page created by the Learning by Design group, shown above, also visit http://cert-iv-taa.wikispaces.com/Janison+Toolbox+Logon+Instructions for a wiki page where the author showcases a set-up similar to a training workshop complete with multimedia integration.  Another wiki page worth looking at is http://ci438-2010.wikispaces.com/ where the author uses this web page for distance education, again, and where multimedia has been integrated.

References:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and Learning at a Distance. Chapter 9:Internet-Based Distance Education. Pearson,4^th ed., Boston, MA.

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2),139–153.

Defining Distance Learning

Prior to this course, my view of distance education was sort of narrow-minded one.  For example, distance education seems specifically designed for “busy” people, so to speak.  In other words, distance education was for those with a life style that did not afford them the luxury of attending a traditional classroom.  Take someone like me: an experienced teacher, mid-way through my professional career, contemplating a career change within the educational field with a special interest in technology use for education, and not least of all a complicated and busy life with a ton of responsibility.  Again, these were my preconceived notions about distance education.  Those characteristics remain evident in today’s students participating in distance education; however, the field of distance education has evolved so much more in terms of technological and communication advancements.  Also it is commonplace to see a diverse population of students from a different educational spectrum and background participating in distance education.

There are aspects of distance education that have remained constant such as institutionally-based and with a certain degree of geographical separation between the student and the instructor.  In the first few days of this course I have learned that some of my preconceived notions about distance education were not too far off target.  But I have also learned that distance education entails a more holistic and innovative approach to teaching and learning rather than placing a much greater emphasis on the learning component of distance learning.  Chapter 2 of our textbook offers the following definitions about distance education which are compatible with my personal views on the subject of distance education.  Definition one is by Simonson (2003) which states that distance education as institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors.  The other definition is by Grenville Rumble (1989) which states that in any distance education process, there must be: a teacher; one or more students; a course or curriculum that the teacher is capable of teaching and the student is trying to learn; and a contract, implicit or explicit, between the student and the teacher or the institution employing the teacher that acknowledges their respective teaching/learning roles. 

The above definitions widen my perspective about distance education to include those evolving aspects of distance education, namely, interactive telecommunications systems and that distance education is a process.  It is a process in which the teaching/learning contract requires that the student be taught, assessed, given guidance, and where appropriate, prepared for examinations (Simonson, Smalding, Albright, and Zvacek, 2009).  It is a process because distance education requires students to read course materials, complete assignments and/or projects, obtain feedback, as well as participating in discussion boards with fellow classmates and teacher.  Additionally, as technology fulfills its potential by enlarging from simply carrying information or instruction to being a communication platform, expanding cognitive capabilities, and a context or laboratory for manipulating the learners’ internal and external environments, thus evolving distance education from its current status as a delivery medium to a learning model (Moller, Foshay, and Huett, 2008).

As the field of distance education continues to evolve, so will the factors that contribute to its change.  Technological innovations will undoubtedly help drive the delivery of instruction.  For example, in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the development of fiber-optic communication systems allowed for the expansion of live, two-way, high-quality audio and visual systems in education (Simonson, Smalding, Albright, and Zvacek, 2009).  Additionally, the authors continue, computer networks [such as the World Wide Web] are convenient ways to distribute course materials to students around the world.  In short, the history of distance education shows a field that appears to be in constant state of evolution, explains Michael Jeffries in his web article Research in Distance Education.

My vision for the future of distance learning is twofold.  Technologically speaking, I think that there will be an increase in student interaction and feedback due to teleconferencing, for instance.  Simonson, Smalding, Albright, and Zvacek, (2009) assert that computer conferencing increases the potential for interactions and collaborative work among students.  Moller, Foshay, and Huett, (2008) also assert that web-base instruction holds the promise of increasing communication among learners, including reconceptualizing learning from a one-shot fixed term to an on-going event that is intermingled with the actual work processes.  Educationally speaking, distance education will become a more attractive alternative to the traditional classroom because, I think, it will be able to accommodate a learner’s particular educational/training needs.  In other words, as web-based instruction evolves and learners become more adept at maneuvering within the environment, they will come to demand greater customizations of the learning process to cater to their individual interaction needs- whatever those needs might be (Moller, Foshay, and Huett, 2008).

References:

Jeffries, M. (2011).  Research in Distance Education.  Retrieved on Sunday, January 9^th, 2011 from http://www.digitalschool.net/edu/DL_history_mJeffries.html.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70-75.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009).  Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. Chapter 2: Definitions, History, and Theories of Distance Education. (4^th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.