Module 1 Blog: The Next Generation of Distance Education

Simonson (2008) says that formal education that is institutionally based where the learners are separated and technology is used to link the learner and the education is not self-study at a distance.  Our educational system is quickly transforming to a point where over six million students are learning from a distance.  Distance education is going to dramatically increase in the near future, and the Diffusion of innovation theory shows that when a new idea is proposed it needs to be promoted and then reaches the point of critical mass and needs to be supported, widely adopted, accepted, and respected.  If we look at past patterns, we can expect distance education to grow, but it will not replace traditional schools.  Distance education will be incorporated into most learning environments (Simonson, 2008).

Simonson (2000) discusses how equivalency theory functions within distance education, and emphasizes that instructors must create equivalent, rather than identical, learning experiences. There is a need to create equivalent learning environments, rather than identical, learning experiences.  In the early adoption of distance learning, there were many videotaped lectures that would then be presented to audiences off location.  This was an attempt to create an equal experience, but not an equivalent one.

In higher education, colleges and universities see distance education as a way of sustaining growth and could mean the difference between a budgetary surplus and a loss.  It has an importance much greater than the enrollment figures may suggest (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008b, p. 66).  The current business climate places a premium on speed – speed of development, delivery, and dissemination is critical even at some sacrifice (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 200a, p. 73).  Within distance education, and in traditional education, the most effective strategy is the one learners actually use.  On-line instruction holds the promise of increasing communication among learners.  Significant learning often occurs as the results of learner-to-learner communication (p. 74).  In the K-12 system of education, the schools attempt to address previously unmet needs.  State governments typically establish virtual k-12 schools directly or provide funding to traditional schools to create their own virtual programs (Huett, Molle, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008, p. 63).  Like classroom schooling, virtual schooling must address student related issues  including feeling isolated and concerns about social development (p. 64).  The next generation of distance education will have gone through many different challenges such as politics, economics, and social progress.  Just like our human race has changed and transformed with time, so too shall distance education.

References:

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.Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's title.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008a, 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. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's title.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008b, 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. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's title.

Simonson, M. (2000). Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29–34. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's title.