3. What is distance education? What types of support are critical to the success of distance education? Why?
According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, distance education or distance learning is the delivery of instruction to students who are separated from their teacher by time and / or location. Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason including the taking of examinations is considered to be hybrid or blended course of study. This emerging technology is becoming widely used in universities and institutions around the globe. With the recent trend of technological advance, distance learning is becoming more recognized for its potential in providing individualized attention and communication with students internationally.
Distance education provides major benefits to at least three main markets or categories, such as:
• Expanding access: Distance education can reach underserved populations of students who cannot attend a school that offers the educational services they desire, perhaps because they live to far away.
• Cost reduction: Distance education can turn production of content into a repeatable and durable learning tool that does not require as much infrastructure. As most material can be packaged in an easy to deliver “just-in-time” format, the expanding payroll of educational institutions become unnecessary.
• Emerging market opportunities: Distance education fuels the public’s need for lifelong learning in education by providing access to learners not in the traditional k – 12 age group.
• Adapting to new technology and environments: Educational institutions may adopt distance education as a means to adapt to the rapid changes in technology being used in education today.
The types of support technologies used in the delivery of distance education that are critical to its success are divided into two groups: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous distance education is a mode of instruction in which all participants are “present” at the same time. Although typically not in the same place generally require a timetable to be organized. Web and video conferencing, and internet chat are examples of synchronous support technologies. Asynchronous distance education is a time shifted mode of instruction in which participants access course materials on their own schedule. Students and teachers are not required to be together at the same time. Message board forums, e-mail and recorded video are examples of asynchronous support technologies.
You mention several benefits of distance education. The benefit I consider most important is "expanding access". The technologies used in distance education make it possible for students to take classes that originate in any geographical location. Instead of students going to the classes, the classes come to the students. In addition, asynchronous techniques allow students to integrate classes with their own work and personal schedules. I am very pleased that USM offers so many online courses for my degree program. The distance learning format has made it possible for me to complete my degree in a relatively short period of time while holding down a full-time job. Each online class I have taken has had its own unique features and style due to the professors' preferences. As a result, I have been exposed to many different distance learning technologies from a student's perspective - discussion board, live chat, wimba classroom, turnitin.com, podcasts, e-books, dropbox, online tests, etc.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your reflections and sharing you and your peer's thoughts in the benefits of distance education. Great job.
ReplyDeleteDistance Learning is now very important to the field of education. It is something that was simply not possible a few decades ago, but with the internet we can now collaborate remotely with fellow learners.
ReplyDeleteWhile Hope points out that distance learning can be cost effective, we must also ensure we buy the right technology when setting up a distance learning system. It would be unfortunate to buy technology that will only become obsolete next year. We must have some forethought and careful planning.