Previously to this course, my experience with distance learning
has been taking other online classes through Walden as well as some distance
learning via webcam in some of my undergraduate college courses. With minimal
knowledge of the topic, I have heard a lot of chatter about online high
schools, which would be considered distance learning, because I work in a
traditional high school. The observations or I would more likely say
misconceptions are that the students who drop out of our high school attend the
online high school because it’s easier and a last resort for students who can’t
handle traditional education. Personally, I think that distance learning has a
lot of possible pitfalls and can easily be abused if not used correctly but
distance learning can be a great tool for all ages and I believe that it is the
future of education. In one way or another, distance learning will be seeping
into all of our lives in some way either through cell phone apps or online
courses.
With all of that being said my definition of distance learning
before starting to read this week’s resources is: “Distance Learning is a form
of education that has a varied amount of uses and forms as well as a varied
amount of users that use it to advance their understanding of a topic through
the use of technology and distance learning is the wave of the future in the
field of education.”
After reading this week’s resources, I still do
believe that distance learning is going to replace education as we know it
today. However, I believe that I understand it a little more clearly and with
more depth. As stated in this week’s reading, “Keegan also concluded that
distance education is a distinct field of education, parallel to and a
complement of conventional education (Simonson, et. Al, 2012).” I really think
that this is an all-encompassing explanation to distance learning. Its
traditional education with some modifications and because of that, it has
unique properties that lends itself to a unique demographic of individuals,
presents its own challenges and benefits. I also learned this week that
distance learning does not technically necessarily include technology. Of
course in this day and age, it usually does but it didn’t start out that way
and doesn’t always include the use of internet, computers and electronics. I
also think that from reading this week, it is clear that distance learning will
continue to morph and change in the coming years to meet the needs of the
learners and the resources and technology available.
Previous to this week, I really thought of distance
education as only online high schools or webcasts of certain lectures. I am
obviously mistaken in this assumption. As mentioned in the reading this week
resources on distance education, it clear includes things like higher education
and even training for corporate situations (Huett, Moller and Forshay, 2008). I
had never considered these situations and their need for online learning before
but it is clearly been used for these platforms.
After the reading I will modified my definition to
be, “Distance Learning is a form of education that has a varied amount
of uses such as in high school, college and even corporate platforms that use
it to advance their understanding of a topic through the use of technology and
distance learning is the wave of the future in the field of education Distance
Learning is future but is not without its challenges but creates opportunities
for many.”
I have stated that I think that I think that distance learning is
the way of the future. I believe that it will take over in all aspects of
education and continue to become more user friendly and common. I also believe
that this will lead to more people becoming educated and more people continuing
on with their education beyond high school or perhaps into higher education
beyond their undergraduate degrees. The development of online apps that cater
to distance learning will become more numerous and as technology in our
electronics such as cell phones, tablets and computers change, distance
learning will fall in suit with it. I also believe that the learners using
distance education will become younger and younger. Technologically advanced
generations will use this option more than their older generations.
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.
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.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a
distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
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