I agree with Mr. Siemens regarding the growing acceptance of distance education in today’s corporate and educational areas. With all the new online communication and new tools provides an effective approach that will help accelerate interactions among learners by global diversity, communication and collaboration interaction. One of the new tools that allow distance education to have better communication and comfort level is Skype. This new form of technology allows users to communicate to other users through voice over IP technology. The new tool will also allow students to communicate to other students as though they are in face-to-face classroom discussions. All the new technologies will allow students an opportunity to interact with other students in the world. According to Siemens (2008), distance education will continue to increase the use multimedia, games, and simulations over time. Distance education will be influenced by all the different technologies that will allow people the opportunity to continue their education from their homes, offices, and wherever there is access to their classroom. It is very important that learners find that level of comfort when enrolled in an online setting. If you feel comfortable about what you’re doing and how to use the classroom portal, good communication with instructors and peers you would more likely enjoy your distance learning experience.
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.
Keith,
ReplyDeleteYour blog on the elements of distant education was very thorough. You captured all three elements. I like the way you tie in communication with collaboration. The way distant learners collaborate is through communication. I also liked how you talked about Skype being an effective tool for communication. I personally have not used it with my group, but would love to join in a conversation about our class projects. You mentioned simulations as one of the multimedia tools used to communicate. One blog I looked at talked about Second Life. Second Life is a virtual community where students go to interact with each other using avatars. Students can go into classrooms and interact with the professor and each other. It allows students to interact with each other while in the comfort of their home. The blog is very interesting.
Tracy
Keith,
ReplyDeleteDistance education is developing rapidly. I would have never imagined that we would ever be able to receive a college degree one hundred percent online. As long as institutions work hard to keep the equivalency as face to face classrooms, I see distance education having a long future. I agree that it is very important as a professor to ensure that your students know their expectations even with distance learning. Good Post!