Defining Distance Learning

This application will discuss my personal definition of distance learning, my revised definition of distance learning with new information obtained from our resources, and how the definition of distance learning is always changing and what factors lead to that change.  Lastly, this application will look at my vision for the future of distance learning as it continues its path of evolution and change.

I had a rather generic definition of distance learning before I started this course.  It could be loosely defined as learners engaged in distant (i.e. remote) learning either in real time (synchronous) through webinars or teleconferences or through asynchronous mechanisms such as webcasts hosted on webservers that can be observed at any time.

My revised definition of distance learning after reviewing my course material has changed to include our texts definition:

Distance education is a method of education in which the learner is physically separated from the teacher.  It may be used on its own, or in conjunction with other forms of education, including face-to-face. In distance education, learners are physically separated from the institution that sponsors the instruction. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek 2008, p. 35)

Although there are various definitions of distance learning in our text and other resources, I like this definition because it clearly explains the physical separation from the learner and instructor.

My prior experience with distance education started in the early 1980’s when my friend’s brother used mail correspondence for his MBA program.  Around the year 2001, I enrolled in a distance learning class at a local Community College that used “Click2Learn” e-Learning software.  I wanted to brush up on my computer repair and networking skills.  I can remember that I was displeased by the lack of design of the course.  The course pretty much consisted of downloadable PowerPoint slides that were copy and pasted from a book that I read earlier that year.  It looked like sheer plagiarism.  (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008) describe that there are managers who “promote e-learning because it is cheap to deliver and it absolves them from the potential to provide potentially more expensive or involved training” (p. 71). Unfortunately, the course tainted my image of distance learning for me for many years.  I thought that online courses were just revenue makers for Colleges or Universities.

The factors driving the definition of distance learning to change ‘has paralleled advancements in technology, but its development is also a reflection of changing educational values and philosophies” (Tracey & Richey, 2005, p. 17).  The advancements in technology have a big role in distance learning.  However, the changes in the philosophy of instructor and student interaction changes as well.  Tracey & Richey (2005) suggest the changing philosophy and educational values can be seen in the independent and autonomous nature of the distant learner. Hence, the degree of the autonomy between instructor and learner leads me to conclude that the definition of distance learning evolves and changes depending upon the environment between learner and instructor.

In conclusion, my vision of for the future of distance learning will be individualized and adapt to the learner.  Moller et al. (2008) describes the need just-in-time education and there is a demand for “greater customization of the learning process to cater to their individual interaction needs – whatever those needs might be” (p. 75).  Hence, distance learning technology will not be a “one-size” fits all model but it will adapt to the individual.

Mindmap image:

References:

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.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Tracey, M., & Richey, R. (2005). The evolution of distance education. Distance Learning, 2(6), 17–21.