Defining Distance Learning

This post is for the EDUC 6135 Distance Education week 1 application assignment and will focus on: 1) my personal definition and observations of distance learning prior to beginning this course; 2) my revised definition considering the information in this week's course readings; and, 3) a summary of my vision for the future of distance learning.

Previous Definition

My definition of distance education has grown primarily from terms used to describe it in the corporate work environments at which I have been employed for the past six years. One of the first projects I was assigned to at a global organization was that of using previously developed content of approximately 15 new hire orientation PowerPoint presentations used for new hire orientation and transitioning it to a facilitator-led webinar. A year later the webinar content was transitioned into a web-based, self-paced narrative.

With my limited perspective, my previous understanding of what constituted distance learning was that it was a physical separation between learner and facilitator/instructor and also known as a "virtual" delivery method. For instance, a web-based eLearning (self-paced) course was classified as distance learning as was a facilitator-led webinar, and both were virtual learning experiences.

The reason web-based and self-paced courses have become so popular is because they are: 1) cost effective by off-setting travel, classroom overhead and loss of employee productivity; 2) provide "on demand" learning accessibility; and, 3) scalable - once developed, learners can immediately use it (Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008).

Revised Definition

After reading through and watching this week's course resources, I quoted one of the more accurate definitions of distance learning in my introductory blog post for this course. To expound on the meaning of distance learning: it must possess each of the four components listed below or it is not true distance education (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2012.

·         Institutionally based, meaning that schools and businesses can offer education to learners at a Distance.

·         Separation of teacher and learner.

·         Interactive telecommunications.

·         The learning experience consists of the sharing of data, voice, and video.

Visual Representation of Distance Learning

The Future of Distance Learning

As a subscriber to online instructional design forums through web sites such as Linkedin.com, Twitter, and miscellaneous blogs, I align with consistent themes of ID and learning professionals which include gaming as a tool of the future for distance learning.  An article that was referenced in the online discussions describes how the Army is using video game technology for training soldiers (Carroll, 2011).

I also believe that traditional classroom instruction is still important and there is every reason for instructional designs to include both F2F and online tools that allow for discussions inside and outside of the classroom

Additionally, future ID needs as described by authors Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) include:

For Corporate Training (Part 1):  New ISD methodology is needed based on the principles of rapid prototyping, iterative design and development, and incorporating frequent learner trials in a learner-centered approach to design and development (p. 73).

For Higher Education (Part 2):  There is a need to develop new processes with clear guidelines that support a “systematic examination of our pedagogical underpinnings” and take care of faculty concerns (pp. 68-69).

For K-12 (Part 3):  Ideally, ID professionals would play a key role in researching and designing K-12 distance education environments to carefully accommodate diverse learners with varying degrees of maturity.  There is a strong need for instructional designers, specifically trained in distance education technologies and design, which are ready to tackle distance education challenges at all levels (p. 65).

References

Carroll, C. (2011). Army will use cutting-edge video technology for soldier training. Stars and Stripes. Retrieved from http://www.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/stripes-central-1.8040/army-will-use-cutting-edge-video-game-technology-for-soldier-training-1.144585

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), 63–6 7.

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.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.