Distance Learning

Distance education can be defined as formal education in which the learning groups are separated by characteristics and time. Distance learning requires interaction between the student and the "instructor" varied but most often was minimal. The quality of the courses varied widely. A lot has changed since the beginning to now. Institutions of higher education are being challenged to provide high quality learning opportunities in the face of shifting market conditions and declining budgets. Many schools and colleges are coming to the same conclusion. The only way to constructively respond to this challenge is by developing distance education programs that apply technological innovation to the fastest growing market in higher education. After reading the article of Huet, Foshay, Molly and Coleman, they believe that distance learning will continue to grow rapidly in the upcoming years. Simonson (2008) also agreed that if we look at the past pattern of educational technology, we can expect exponential growth of distance education to continue. Institutions have to be sure that all instructors who are facilitating the courses trained appropriately.

The week’s readings and discussion have made me more aware of how important it is to provide equivalent learning experiences to those face-to-face instructions when relating to distance learning. I clearly understand how important it is to ensure that your students understand their expectations and instructions when designing courses online, so that they can have the same learning results you will receive in a traditional classroom.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W.R., & Coleman, C. (2008). Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (part 3). Tech Trends, 52(5), 63-67.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008b). Equivalency Theory [Video program]. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5260640&Survey=1&47=9024095&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1