MD2 - Distance Education Diffusion

Learning experiences that involve distance education have increasingly produced a unique set of qualities, or elements, that distinguish online learning from face-to-face courses. These elements, as highlighted by George Siemens, include global diversity, increased communication, and collaborative interaction ("Laureate Education," 2008). While each element simulates"real world"work experiences for online learners, the effects of collaborative interaction, within an online learning experience, further creates a lasting foundation for success among online learners.

Stacey asserts (1999) that collaborative interaction enables learners to achieve "a group consensus of knowledge through communicating different perspectives," receive "feedback from other students and tutors," and discuss "ideas until a final negotiation of understanding was reached." For online learners these skills are further developed through the use of an "on-going network of support" that provides "quick" and consistent "means for feedback," which lessen the ideas of group members to go "in the wrong direction" (Stacey, 1999). Collaboration helps to keep people further engaged with content and their work on the job (Dansel, 2011). In a study that caused instructors to "walk the talk," by experiencing collaborative learning like there students, the online instructors found that collaborative experiences also deepened their connection with the content (Morrison, 2013). Therefore, collaborative interaction not only benefits those who are online learners, as students, but also contributes to the professional growth of online instructors (Morrison, 2013). 

While collaboration can be as "simple as talking with someone with more or different experiences than you" (Dansel, 2011). Online collaboration has changed overtime. Back in the 1990s, online collaboration consisted of emails, groups chats, and the use of "conferencing programs" (Stacey, 1999). By the 2000s, collaboration programming grew to incorporate social networking platforms (i.e. Facebook), and, by the 2010s, free video conferencing websites (i.e. Skype), blogs and learning management programs (i.e. Blackboard). All of these mediums have contributed to the increasing quality of online learning experiences, and they further prepare online learners for increasing work demands that require the use of online collaborative tools. 

Blog References:
Dansel, N. (2011, July 14). Importance of having reasons to collaborate online. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.interact-intranet.com/importance-of-having-reasons-to-collaborate-online/#
Morrison, D. (2013, December 1). How online educators benefitted by walking-the-talk with collaborative instructional design. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/tag/collaborative-learning/

Additional References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of distance education: The future of distance education. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Stacey, E. (1999). Collaborative learning in an online environment. Journal of Distance Education. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/acs/faq/Online-collaboration/collab-learning_files/stacey.htm.

Blogs I posted to:
http://jeanniefrazierblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/f2f-courses/comment-page-1/#comment-7
http://educ7102krobertson.wordpress.com/

MD1 - Next Generation of Distance Education

Distance education creates unique opportunities for anywhere, anytime learning. The internet has enabled students at a K-12 or collegiate level to access educational opportunities that knows no limits of time and space, except for when an assignment is due. In a three-part essay series, Moller, Foshay and Huett (2008) highlight the impacts of distance education in learning today. 

Students today are more digitally connected than ever before. Moreover, functional internet use can be simply accessed by the swipe of a cell phone. Full computer access no longer serves as the medium for complete use of internet capabilities. With internet access being garnered instantaneously, regardless of space and time, I also believe that ideas about traditional forms of education need to shift to meet the growing demands and needs of today's students. 

Moller, Foshay and Huett (2008) advocate that online, distance education programs can provide meaningful, research-based learning experiences that allow for the successful and effective completion of diploma and degree programs. Simonson (2000) further argues with the equivalency theory that learning can occur by any technological mean as long as the information is presented effectively. Therefore, teacher education programs, also have a role to play in ensuring that teachers, and professors alike, are equipped with the tools that enable them to meet the needs of students while they are in class, and through the use of internet. 

Research does not suggest that there is one formal approach to educating students, of all ages, online. Research, however, does suggest that the internet can better individualize learning to meet the needs and requirements of students (Simonson, 2000). Individualization of learning, for many, can be harder to achieve in a face-to-face setting unlike that of an online learning environment. Clearly, distance education and learning with the use of the internet has its advantages.

References:

Simonson, M. (2000). Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29–34.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). 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. 

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

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

Blogs I posted to: 

• http://educationtechie1.blogspot.com/
• http://lovetechtalk.wordpress.com/