Elements of distant education

Siemens (2008) listed the growing acceptance of distance education is fueled by the increase in online communication, practical experience with new tools, growing comfort with online discourse, and the ability to communicate with diverse and global groups.  Distant education is growing more popular and is being accepted more widely.  He discussed three possible elements of distant education that are creating more effective learning experiences and giving distant education and identity of its own, apart from face to face courses.  They are global diversity, communication, and collaborative interaction.  Collaboration has evolved by the use of virtual classrooms.  Indiana University has acquired an island in Second Life.  This island has seven different meeting places.  They interact using avatars and communicate by chat or voice teleconferencing.  Classrooms and conference rooms have a type of whiteboard which include a web browser for students to see the content of a specific web page. Instructors could upload their PowerPoint presentation to websites such as slideshare and then show them to their students within Second Life.  Students can practice their 3D skills in the sandbox area.  This is a site to see!  Unfortunately, the island is constrained due to instruction.  Second Life has to be downloaded and installed. 

Collaboration dates back to Vygotsky, who stated that children learn from each other in a social setting.  Collaboration in distant learning can increase students’ learning and higher order thinking. 

http://icoblog.wordpress.com/category/distance-education/

http://ateacherswrites.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/collaboration-at-a-distance-a-case-for-collaborative-learning-in-distance-education/

Blog post #1 Evolving education to the next level.

Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) mention that distant learning is becoming a popular choice for professional education, mid-career degree, and lifelong learning.  Many of us are in this class for the convenience of being able to work at our own pace around our jobs and family.  There are obviously benefits to usage of the Internet and any new technology.  Educators need training and solutions to evolve the next generation into distant learning.  Many educators are not trained so they use a craft approach.  They design and develop the course based on what has worked in the traditional classroom and put it on the web.  Simonson (2008) states that online students and traditional students learn in different environments.  Therefore they should have the opportunity to learn appropriately.  Online students should learn through equivalency.  That means learning through a variety of experiences that are tailored to their environment and situation.  Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) agree that online learning allows for strategies not possible in a traditional classroom.  Educators must reexamine the process of learning.  They need to prepare online learners to focus on thinking, creativity, collaboration, and dialogue.  They must also reconsider what constitute instruction.  Traditional learning controls and manages the educational experience, while online learning has more social collaboration and learner to learner communication.  Educators must adjust to the course development, control of the learning process, collaboration, and intellectual property rights.  Online education is more work than traditional classrooms.  Teachers feel that student evaluations will be lower than traditional classroom students.  Online courses carry a stigma that reduces the credit given to teacher for the work they put into the classroom.  Yet a study by the National Education Association (2000) showed that seventy five percent of faculty had positive feelings about online learning.  They liked the flexibility and felt that there was more individual student participation.  The asynchronous communications allowed for more think time to formulate responses and make greater connections (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008).

Moller, L., Foshay, W., Huett, J. (2008). TechTrends.  Vol. 1 (4)
 Moller, L., Foshay, W., Huett, J. (2008). TechTrends.  Vol. 52 (4) 
Simonson, (2000).   Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classes.  New directions for teaching and learning.  84 (29-34)

http://libraryguides.waldenu.edu/educ7102

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