Perceptions of Distance Leaning
This application will reflect on the current and
future perceptions of distance learning in our society. This essay will explore how I can be a
proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning and how I can
be a positive force in the improvement of distance education. Lastly, I will examine perceptions of
distance learning in the future (i.e. 5 to 10 years and in 10 to 20 years) as
it relates to lifelong learning for the adult learner.
Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek (2012), stated
that we should examine “learner attributes and perceptions as well as
interaction patterns and how they contribute to the overall learning
environment (p. 64). Simonson et al,
(2012) goes on to describe that Instructional Designers (ID) should not focus
on which medium is best (i.e. technology) but we should focus on “what
attributes of the medium can contribute to a positive, equivalent learning
experience” (p.64). When I explore how to improve societal
perceptions of distance learning, I will look at the attributes of the medium
(i.e. the technology proposed) and examine if the technology proposed is the
best means to deliver that learning material.
To be a positive force in the improvement of
distance education I feel that it is important to continue my education past
Walden University and by keeping abreast of the latest literature or joining
trade Associations. To be a positive
force in the improvement of distance education is to take the skills and formal
education that I learned at Walden University to my current employer and beyond. Many trade associations such as The
Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) have professional
guidelines in ethics that can strengthen my professional development and field.
My thoughts on what the perceptions of distance
learning will be in the short term and long term are closely related to what I
think what will be the future of distance learning. Jeff Cobb in book his titled Leading the Learning Revolution describes
the importance of informal learning.
Cobb (2013) coined the term “the other 80 percent” in which he describes
that in “some estimates, as much as 80 percent of our learning happens in an
informal manner” (p. 117). Leh (2015) in
his article for Talented Learning describes the latest technologies that he predicts
in the near future are the expanded use of gamification, social learning and
mobile learning. To examine the short term perception of distance learning (i.e.
5 to 10 years), ID’s need to explore how to deliver learning material that is assessable
(e.g. mobile technology) and informally (e.g. gamification or through social
interaction). In the short term, ID’s
and software companies who will deliver learning material conveniently and informally
to the adult learner will gain the acceptance of the distance learner.
I predict the perceptions of distance learning for
the long term will be linked on how closely the learning technology is perceived
by the public (in this case the adult learner).
To explore my vision of the future of DL is to look at trends in web
development. As ID’s at Walden
University, we have been exposed to the term Web 2.0 and how it allows users to
receive information, as well as, “contribute to the conversation and make it a
richer experience” (Strickland, 2008, para. 6).
The next wave in web development has been labeled as Web 3.0 and it can
be loosely thought of “a personal assistant who knows practically everything
about you and can access all the information on the Internet to answer anything”
(Strickland, 2008, para. 8). Moreover, Kalakota
(2012) in his blog about predictive analytics describes predictive search as predictive
learning. He gives an example of how the
latest version of Google Now:
Google uses your
private data — people you know, documents, images, hangouts, accessing your location, e-mail, daily
calendar, and other info — in order to keep tabs on things like search
preferences, appointments, flight reservations, payments and hotel
bookings. Or auto-suggesting restaurants
from the Zagat’s guide to have dinner at. (Kalakota, 2012, para. 28).
My prediction
of learning in the next 10 to 20 years is that large enterprise systems that
adults use at their work will seamlessly deliver personalized content to
educate the adult learner much in the same way Google Now uses your private
data. In other words, companies and or governments
will use data harvested from your email or documents and seamlessly deliver
personalized education to you – as the learner. To answer the question, what
will be society’s perception of distance learning? Society will need to ask themselves if they
are willing to accept corporations or the government to harvest large amounts
of data from them. Skeptics of the
future of predictive learning will feel that his technology be too intrusive or
reach too far into their personal lives. Proponents will suggest that it will
deliver personalized education seamlessly to learners. Moreover, it will deliver training /
education via a personalized assistant before the learner realizes they need it. As with two extremes, the truth probable lies
somewhere in the middle.
In conclusion, this essay reflected the societal
forces in the world that can either advocate or skeptically embrace the future
of distance learning and how we as ID’s can use our influence in field of distance
learning.
References
Cobb,
J. (2013). Leading the learning revolution the expert's guide to capitalizing
on the exploding lifelong education market. New York: American Management
Association.
Simonson,
M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance
education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson
