Module 1

Is there a need to evolve distance education to the next generation?

From my personal view, I have thought of distance education as a resource that is available to those who want to take a class but are limited by geographical, financial, or time barriers. I viewed it as an alternative to standard education and that standard education was the best. However, as I have participated in these classes, I have seen the added value that come from the online make up.

Dr. Simonson, Professor of Instructional Technology and Distance Education at Nova Southeastern University, defines distance education at “formal education which the learning group (teachers, students, resources) are separated by geography and sometimes time.” In Dr. Simonson’s article, Making Decisions: The use of Electronic Technology in Online Classrooms, he states that “Online students and those in face-to-face classes learn in fundamentally different environments.” Because of this, what is done in the classroom cannot be accomplished exactly the same way online, and vice versa. “A more appropriate strategy is to provide different but equivalent learning experience to each learner.” (Simonson, 2000). This “equivalent” strategy is known as “Equivalency Theory” and demonstrates that although we cannot do exactly the same things in these different environments, we can still successfully accomplish goals.

Equivalency theory has a tendency to focus on what was formally done in the classroom and making it electronic. With the fast pace evolution of the electronic world, we are becoming more able to do things electronically, making the physical classroom less and less mandatory. In the three part article, The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web, Dr. Moller, Mr. Foshay, and Dr. Huett, break down the evolution into Part 1 – Training and Development, Part 2 – Higher Education, and Part 3 – K-12. The general idea from these articles is that we are just at the beginning of the evolution. We are only now obtaining access to technology that could truly make online learning. Resources such as Skype, for video conferencing, Wikis, for collaborative work, and many other resources are now available (mostly for free) for the average person, closing the gap between educational theory and practice to educational resources.

References:

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & 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. (Producer). (2008). Distance education: The next generation featuring Dr. Michael Simonson. United States: Walden University. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199707&Survey=1&47=4862829&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Equivalency theory featuring Dr. Michael Simonson. United States: Walden University. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199707&Survey=1&47=4862829&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Moller, L., Forshay, W., & 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.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & 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(4), 66-70. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0179-0.

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