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/
Hi Bianca, Your blog is concise and well written. I especially like your comment about teacher education programs playing a role in distance education to ensure teachers and professors are knowledgeable about the technology tools that can be used to meet their students learning needs. I am a teacher and I did not learn about the use of technology in my education program which was completed about 6 years ago. I find that even the new teachers I meet are seldom knowledgeable about using technology in the classroom. However, they certainly seem more open to it than many of the teachers who have been in the field for longer periods of time.
ReplyDeleteBeverley Boyd
Thanks for your reply Beverly.
DeleteHi Bianca,
ReplyDeleteYou make some great points in your blog post. I definitely agree with you when you stated " Students today are more digitally connected then ever before". I honestly don't see many people reverting back to the more traditional methods of learning, especially graduate level adult learners. Thanks for allowing me to view your thoughts. I look forward to reading your blog moving forward.
Cottrell
Thank you for your reply Cottrell.
DeleteNice post Bianca.I agree with you that research does not suggest one formal education to all students. then why do people in the 21st century discriminate and consider regular learning environment is far more better than online?
ReplyDeleteHi Shameen,
DeleteThank you for your reply. I do not think an agenda exists to eliminate face-to-face interaction and learning. However, as online learning grows as supplement and/or replacement to educational programs, there does seem to be a growing advocacy for the use of more interactive learning experiences that can be found and used more conveniently with the internet, and/or computer programming. Would you agree?
You have a great post here. Being a middle school teacher, I see that need for digital connection in my students' lives. However, the only thing that bothers me is their lack of work ethic. I want to do online courses in our computer lab, but if I was to expect them to do it at home, I don't think most of them would do it, purely because they don't understand what it means to work and do their best. They would find a way to cheat or not do it at all. I see it in many of my students nowadays. How do we promote work ethic in distance education?
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
DeleteThank you for your post. I think some students would be motivated to complete their assignments online, at home, if the right conditions and perimeters were set. Work ethic, in my view, moves beyond the classroom and into the home where the support of a parent or guardian becomes an essential component. Therefore, educating the parents and guardians in how to support the work being completed online may help to address your concern.
I like your post as well. What did you think about the points made about how schools use distance education? I think that a lot of high schools do use online courses for students needing credit recovery, but I do not see it as a bad thing. Students at the high school level have a lot of pressure, and a lot of responsibility, way more than I can remember. I like the idea of having online classes for juniors and seniors. Their focus by this time is ......college.....or work.
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne,
DeleteThank you for your reply. I do not view credit recovery as a bad thing, but I do question the program and level of work being used. I have worked in an alternative school setting where a credit recovery program was used. At the time, some years ago, the program was not very interactive, but required a lot of reading, writing, and/or problem-solving. I sincerely question if the application of what was learned would equate to the experiences garnered in the classroom where experimentation and more tangible work was being completed. I doubt that was the case back then, during the mid-2000s.
Hello Bianca,
ReplyDeleteYour post is great! It is very animated and energetic! Yes, I agree with you that the use of technology in DE has made education very easy to access. The flexibility of being able to study, complete readings, assignments, and projects at our own pace has motivated many non-traditional learners to return to school to achieve their educational goals. As mentioned in your post, pt. 3 of the article discussed the implementation of DE in the K-12 sector, and Virtual Schools, whether on and off site, beginning to be more widely used. What are some strategies and methods that you may be able to propose that can be used in the K-12 DE setting that can be used to motivate K-12 learners as they learn from a distance, separated by geographical location and time? Most adults can be disciplined enough to complete assignments as required despite the distance, but the K-12 population, being younger, may need more guidance and redirection. How would you address an issue where K-12 students weren't responding to virtual classroom time and/or assignments? Can you think of any innovations that may assist with such an issue? I enjoyed reading your post. Thanks!
Kenyatta
Hi Kenyatta,
DeleteThank you for your post. You have several questions here, so I will seek to answer each question one by one.
"What are some strategies and methods that you may be able to propose that can be used in the K-12 DE setting that can be used to motivate K-12 learners as they learn from a distance, separated by geographical location and time?"
- I think collaborative interaction will help to engage and motivated K-12 learners.
"How would you address an issue where K-12 students weren't responding to virtual classroom time and/or assignments?"
- If the scenario you present was an issue within a online course setting, I think parent involvement would be step number one. The article cited in my blog post directly speaks to the issue students being unmotivated to participate. Simonson (2000) also advocates that students be matched to a program that will meet there needs. Therefore, a child should not be placed in an online course if, through a pre-assessment, it was determined he or she would not do well.
"Can you think of any innovations that may assist with such an issue?"
- In my view, the best way to counteract such a problem would be through a phone call to the student and/or parent, or guardian. Much like with more traditional forms of education, whether online or face-to-face, the role of parents and/or guardians in educating students is vital. Would you agree?