The Future of Distance Learning

Distance education has been a method for delivering instruction for well over a century (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). Distance education has played a vital role in providing learning opportunities for individuals who might not otherwise be able to access learning due to geographic location, time, or other personal constraints (Simonson, et al., 2012). The needs or demands of individuals wishing to access learning via distance education as well as advances in technology have expanded the availability of distance learning opportunities (Simonson, et al., 2012). As distance learning opportunities continue to grow and expand so too will the perceptions of distance education.

           

The quality of distance learning is often called into question as concerns and perceptions arise over distance education programs being diploma mills that lack quality instruction and are not accredited (Simonson, et al., 2012). This perception however continues to be dispelled as individuals become more aware of the fact that distance education programs have the potential of being equivalent in quality as a program that takes place in a traditional face-to-face classroom (Simonson, et al., 2012). This increased awareness is as a result of some institutions being conscientious of highlighting important components of their distance programs such as being accredited, having academic rigor, and having highly qualified instructional staff (Gambescia & Paolucci, 2009).

           

According to the Sloan Consortium (2013), in 2011 there were 6.7 million students enrolled in at least one online course. Additionally, academic leaders’ perceptions of learning outcomes in online education were surveyed and found that increasingly these leaders view online education as being comparable (Sloan Consortium, 2013). In the last decade there has been a shift in perceptions in viewing distance education more favorably.  Unfavorable perceptions of distance learning continue to be positively impacted by continued advances in technology. Technological innovations have resulted in individuals being able to communicate with others regardless of location or sometimes time which is also the essence of distance learning where in learning “occurs at different times and in different places” (Simonson, et al., p.10). Advances in and greater use of technology tools to facilitate communication has allowed individuals to gain more experience and comfort with communication mediated through technology (Laureate, n.d.). As a result these advances have helped individuals see the value and benefits of communicating at a distance which has helped increase the acceptance of distance education (Laureate, n.d.).

           

It is clear that distance education has grown in the last decade and will continue to grow in the next decade as well. Perceptions will continue to shift as distance education expands and is more easily accessed with technological innovations. While there appears to still be a great deal of emphasis placed on the convenience and flexibility aspect of distance learning there is a call for change in placing a greater emphasis on highlighting the academic quality and reputation on the online program and institution (Gambescia & Paolucci, 2009). Placing greater emphasis on quality of academic programs will continue to promote positive perceptions of distance education for prospective students, potential employers, and society as a whole. With greater acceptance and appreciation for the value of distance education it will have the potential over the course of the next twenty years for expanding existing distance learning opportunities and creating new ones as the need arises. Individuals will continue to demand high quality educational opportunities that are available in distance learning formats making learning more accessible. It will be more important than ever to ensure that as demand increases and more distance learning experiences are offered in the coming decades that the instruction is designed to create an efficient and meaningful learning experience.

           

Creating efficient and effective learning experiences as an instructional designer is one of the most important ways for me to further promote positive perceptions of distance learning. When designing distance learning experiences I will need to ensure that I am cognizant of the needs of the learners participating in the distance learning experience as well as any content and context factors that may influence how the instruction is designed. Being aware of the needs of the learners, the content, and the context will help me identify the most effective methods and activities for enhancing learning (Simonson, et al., 2012). I can also promote positive perceptions of distance learning by utilizing various technology tools that enhance communication in distance learning such as blogs, wikis, discussion forums, or social networking (Simonson, et al., 2012). Incorporating technology tools that individuals are already comfortable using as well as other advancing communication technologies will improve the potential for greater acceptance of distance learning (Gambescia & Paolucci, 2009). I will also need to ensure that any distance learning experiences I develop are designed in a way that is easy to navigate for the learner and that offers support systems equivalent to what they would receive from a traditional, face-to-face classroom (Simonson, et al., 2012).   

           

As a distance learner myself I will also be able to use my own personal experiences to promote positive perceptions of distance learning. I will be able to provide others with insights on my experiences with distance learning along with the knowledge and skills I have developed throughout this course. I will be able to communicate more effectively going forward on the positive aspects of distance education outside of focusing on flexibility and convenience and instead highlight the quality of content and quality of interactions with instructors and fellow learners which has created a successful learning experience for me.

References                                                                             

Gambescia, S., & Paolucci, R. (2009). Academic fidelity and integrity as attributes of university online degree program offerings. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 12(1). 

Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring121/gambescia121.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.).  The future of distance education. [Video webcast].  Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3467850_1%26url%3D

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

Sloan Consortium (2013). Changing course: Ten years of tracking online education in the united states. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/changing_course_2012

Converting to Distance Learning

This week we reviewed a scenario in which a training manager had decided to convert a face-to-face training course to a blended distance learning format. After reviewing the scenario we were asked to develop a best practice guide for the trainer to follow while converting his face-to-face learning course to a blended format. The guide that I developed emphasizes the importance of carefully considering all components of the course to ensure it is developed effectively to ensure the trainees have a successful and meaningful learning experience. The guide addresses pre-planning strategies as well as learning enhancements for distance learning for the trainer to consider. The guide additionally address the role the trainer must play and way to effectively foster communication in the blended distance learning format.  

Click here to review the trainer’s guide for converting face-to-face learning to a distance learning format.

Open Source Courses

This week we have been exploring aspects of instructional design that need to be considered during the planning phase of developing a distance learning experience. The success of the distance learning experience is dependent upon the instructional designer being conscientious of the unique needs of the distance learner so that the course materials and activities support the learner (Simonson, et al., 2012). As distance learning continues to progress and expand there is an even greater need for instructional designers and instructors to be conscientious of carefully planning their distance courses to support the learners participating in these courses.          

           

One area in which distance learning has become increasingly more available is open source courses. There are a multitude of websites with open source courses including websites from various colleges and universities. One in particular website that I selected to focus on is Open Yale Courses which offers free, non-credit introductory courses taught by Yale professors (Yale, n.d.). Open Yale Courses offers a variety of courses from different academic disciplines ranging from humanities to physical and biological sciences (Yale, n.d). To gain a more in depth perspective on open source courses I selected a course from Open Yale Courses, EVST 255: Environmental Politics and Law, to review and analyze applying the knowledge I have acquired on planning and designing effective distance learning experiences.

Review of EVST 255: Environmental Politics and Law

EVST 255: Environmental Politics and Law can be viewed by navigating to the following URL:

http://oyc.yale.edu/environmental-studies/evst-255

Simonson, et al. (2012) cautioned against simply depositing a face-to-face course online without considering how course activities and materials will translate to supporting the learner in an online environment. In the Open Yale Course, EVST 255 the course appears to have initially taken place in a face-to-face synchronous learning environment before being reconfigured for an online open source course. Evidence of pre-planning is consistently apparent throughout the course in the overall structure and design.

Upon first entering the course the learner is taken to an introductory page where a brief overview of the course is provided along with information on the course structure, course materials, and course professor. This introductory page also contains easy to navigate links to other components of the course including a course syllabus. A course syllabus in a distance learning experience is important for serving as a guide for the learner in clearly organizing and identifying the course structure, delivery, materials, and learning assessments (Simonson, et al., 2012). The course syllabus in EVST 255 provides information about the topics to be covered in the course, information on the course materials, and information about grading and assessments.

The overall structure of the course is broken up into a series of 24 sessions. Each session page provides an overview of topics to be covered and reading requirement for that particular session. The sessions are delivered in a lecture style presentation and viewable in different video and audio formats. Within each lecture session the learning is segmented into different chapters for the learner to view. By segmenting the course and allowing the learner to proceed at their own pace it is evident that the designer of the course considered the need for adapting the course to general characteristics and traits of a distance learner (Simonson, et al., 2012). Technology considerations are also evident in that the learner has the option of viewing the course lectures in different bandwidth videos depending upon their internet speed (Simonson, et al., 2012). Closed captioning and transcripts are also available for the learner to view which is critical for making the course accessible to individuals who possibly are hearing impaired.

           

When adapting a face-to-face course to an online distance learning course it is important to consider the materials and media of the course and present them in a way that is legible to the learner (Simonson, et al., 2012). The application of principles of effective graphic design is evident throughout the overall course design in EVST 255. The size, font, color contrast, alignment, and space all support the learner by clearly communicating the instructional message without added graphics or text that are unnecessary or distracting to the learner (Simonson, et al., 2012). Consideration of adapting the course to an online distance learning environment is also apparent in the ability for the learner to download the slideshow presentation that is used during the lecture sessions. It would be challenging for the learner to view the slides in the video presentation. Having the opportunity to view the information by downloading the slideshow presentation makes the graphics, tables, and other content more legible and supports the learning more effectively.

Careful planning and taking a systematic approach to designing a distance learning experience can help to ensure that all components of the learning experience effectively and efficiently work together to support the course objectives and the needs of the learner (Simonson, et al., 2012). The components of EVST 255 work together to support the learner in this online open source course, but there are a few aspects that were not considered in the design of the course. The course does not provide any opportunities for social interaction or even interaction with the course materials other than navigating through the course presentations. Social interaction is important for the learner for creating a community of learners (Simonson, et al., 2012). The design of the course I reviewed primarily focuses on independent study of information. There is no social interaction and there are no course assessments or course activities. In reviewing EVST 255 and viewing other open course source options this week the open source courses often lacked social interaction and course activities for the learners. It is presumed that this lack of interaction is a result of the course not being offered for the purpose of earning credit.

Open source courses such as EVST 255 present an excellent opportunity for advancing one’s knowledge on a particular topic. Advances in technology and availability of accessing courses such as this through the web present a unique opportunity for creating a global community of lifelong learners. In creating this global community of learners through open source courses however instructional designers will need to capitalize on available technology tools that integrate social interaction and interactive activities in addition to being cognizant of other design components that support a successful distance learning environment (Beldarrain, 2006).      

References

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2),139–153.

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

Yale University (n.d.) About. Retrieve from http://oyc.yale.edu/about