How do I see the delivery methodology playing a role in my teaching schemata? Will I be using or trying something now that I have not considered before? What do I see as some of the barriers that I might encounter?
When I think about my future as a distance educator I can see myself going into two very different directions, an instructor at an online 6-12 school or a college instructor online. I hope to be able to somehow bridge my current style of teaching with my future style of teaching- although I feel it will be somewhat of a challenge. In my classroom I tend to be a very creative, hands-on, spontaneous teacher. I truly believe the best way for a child to learn is through hands-on activities and real life experiences. That being said- distance education can provide these things but in a much different way.
Depending on which direction I were to go in would definitely sway my method of delivery. If I were to teach at Florida Virtual School (where I recently applied) I would have to take into account that my learner population would be a lot different than a college level course. Students who attend virtual high school have more time for synchronous meetings. Students who are attending college level coursework online, do not always have the time and that is why they have chosen an online course versus a face to face course.
If I were to teach at FLVS I definitely could see myself using many different types of coursework- combining synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. I would definitely like to have meetings once every few weeks with my students, either together in a virtual classroom (like Elluminate) or video conferencing individually with each student. Even though we are working online, I would like to know my students and their personality. I find this especially important when working with younger students. I believe that students who are in this distance education program could find time to do this type of learning as they do not go to "normal" school so they should be able to fit these sort of classroom meetings into their schedules. I would also include interactive games and labs (I'm thinking similar to Froguts.com)
If I were to teach at a college level course I would try to do most of my coursework via asynchronous media. As a current distance education student, I choose this method as a student because I do not have time to attend face-to-face classes. I am a mother to two young children, I have a full-time job, I sponsor the Honor Society, I am a wife, and I also attend graduate classes. For me graduate school would no have been possible if not for distance education. I have not taken classes in my time at USF merely because they require synchronous sessions weekly. It is very hard for me to commit to something because I never know what is going to come up. I believe I will keep this in my mind when/if I become an distance educator and keep the coursework to things via a tool like Blackboard, where students post and discuss with each other online throughout the week.
Obviously with any distance education there are barriers. In the FLVS situation the barriers would be appropriate hardware to support conferencing (web cams), as well as computers that support Elluminate or a program of that caliber. Also, when using a synchronous classroom setting you must take into consideration things like absences of students and have make-up sessions or assignments ready. In the other situation I presented, college instructor- the barrier that I would see was the fact that the class could become stagnant. Discussion boards are only as active as your students are. If you were to have a group of non-responsive individuals it could definitely lack. Also, if you give students a minimum amount of posts on a discussion board then they are not always as thought provoking as you would hope because they know they must post to achieve the grade they want- even if they have nothing to add to the discussion.
Overall, I think a healthy mixture of asynchronous and synchronous delivery methods are the most successful in the online classroom.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Roundtable Discussion Prep
1) How does your topic relate to distance education?
2) What most important aspects of your topic?
3) What are some potential problems for this topic?
4) What are some potential solutions to these problems?
5) What interests you most about this topic?
2) What most important aspects of your topic?
3) What are some potential problems for this topic?
4) What are some potential solutions to these problems?
5) What interests you most about this topic?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Distance Education Research
1) What is the general state of research in Distance Education today?
After reading through the articles, it appears to me that the general state of research in Distance Education is very incomplete. Each article and research study while it has its merits, does not fully answer questions or has some sort of variable hindering it. It seems that more research needs to be done into this topic and with more through consideration to careful research practices. According to The Institute of Higher Education, there has been "gaps and omissions" in research. In addition, their article goes on to discuss the quality of analysis as well. Many of the research studies are less than perfect, leaving much to be desired in the field.
2) Who are some of the big names in DE research?
Honestly, after reading through the articles there were lots of names of people, but none that really stood out as something super impressive, or at least, not in the way I took this question. The biggest name that stands out to me isn't a person, its a journal. The American Journal of Distance Education has published many articles on Distance Education research. As far as individuals, Keegan is huge in Distance Education. He has developed many definitions of Distance Education and things related (I think I may be misunderstanding this question).
3) Did you find any research studies that appeared to have contradictory results?
There are many research studies that contradict each other. It seems that a large percentage of Distance Education research articles do not agree with each other. According to the Bernard article, Allen et al (2005) concluded that classroom instruction was more effective in teaching students; however, in the IHEP article they tell about many studies who conclude that distance education and classroom instruction are equal on many fronts.
4) What explanations might you offer for this variance?
From the articles I've read this unit, it appears that there are lots of errors made in the Distance Education Research field. Many of the studies claim to be comprehensive but in actuality they are not. Berge tried to do his review based on this and found that there wasn't enough comprehensive results and he had to fall back on the Sherry categorization method. Many of the studies also make bias mistakes; they take out what they feel are not "important" and it seems to be at their own interest.
5) Did you find any research studies that confirmed the weaknesses identified in the IHEP Report: What's the difference?: a review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning? Examples?
IHEP Report stated "The validity and reliability of the instruments used to measure student outcomes and attitudes are questionable." In the Bernard article it speaks of an study by Allen whose research did not effectively measure a critical aspect. The study says that effectiveness is shown more in traditional classroom instruction, but the measurements given were for student satisfaction, definitely not the most important question in measuring the effectiveness of distance learning.
After reading through the articles, it appears to me that the general state of research in Distance Education is very incomplete. Each article and research study while it has its merits, does not fully answer questions or has some sort of variable hindering it. It seems that more research needs to be done into this topic and with more through consideration to careful research practices. According to The Institute of Higher Education, there has been "gaps and omissions" in research. In addition, their article goes on to discuss the quality of analysis as well. Many of the research studies are less than perfect, leaving much to be desired in the field.
2) Who are some of the big names in DE research?
Honestly, after reading through the articles there were lots of names of people, but none that really stood out as something super impressive, or at least, not in the way I took this question. The biggest name that stands out to me isn't a person, its a journal. The American Journal of Distance Education has published many articles on Distance Education research. As far as individuals, Keegan is huge in Distance Education. He has developed many definitions of Distance Education and things related (I think I may be misunderstanding this question).
3) Did you find any research studies that appeared to have contradictory results?
There are many research studies that contradict each other. It seems that a large percentage of Distance Education research articles do not agree with each other. According to the Bernard article, Allen et al (2005) concluded that classroom instruction was more effective in teaching students; however, in the IHEP article they tell about many studies who conclude that distance education and classroom instruction are equal on many fronts.
4) What explanations might you offer for this variance?
From the articles I've read this unit, it appears that there are lots of errors made in the Distance Education Research field. Many of the studies claim to be comprehensive but in actuality they are not. Berge tried to do his review based on this and found that there wasn't enough comprehensive results and he had to fall back on the Sherry categorization method. Many of the studies also make bias mistakes; they take out what they feel are not "important" and it seems to be at their own interest.
5) Did you find any research studies that confirmed the weaknesses identified in the IHEP Report: What's the difference?: a review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning? Examples?
IHEP Report stated "The validity and reliability of the instruments used to measure student outcomes and attitudes are questionable." In the Bernard article it speaks of an study by Allen whose research did not effectively measure a critical aspect. The study says that effectiveness is shown more in traditional classroom instruction, but the measurements given were for student satisfaction, definitely not the most important question in measuring the effectiveness of distance learning.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Summary and Reflection of Theories
1. What trends and technologies have shaped Distance Education to this point?
There have been many different trends and technologies that have made a large impact on Distance Education. One major trend is the need for classes that fit students schedules. On campus classes do not allow for things such as full time jobs and families as much as a class where you can go online and do it whatever time of day you want (doesn't allow for much time for sleep I must add...). Another trend, is OSS (Open Source Software) such as Moodle being offered to distance learners of all ages. I know that my middle school students use Moodle and love it! A few technologies that have shaped Distance Education of course are synchronous and asynchronous communication. There are so many possibilities with these technologies. Of course, Distance Education has most been shaped by the every growing Internet capabilities and e-mail technologies. When I was in elementary school were still using huge floppy disks (side note: which by the way, isn't it funny that on newer programs the save button looks like a floppy disk- and hardly anyone uses floppy disks anymore?). I remember getting my first computer when I was in 9th grade (late 90's) and the Internet was something new and exciting. Now its apart of my everyday life.
2. What is currently happening in the field of Distance Education? How is this different or the same as what has happened in history?
Currently, Distance Education is primarily learner centered. Teachers act as facilitators. They guide the students to the knowledge- teachers are not spending hours lecturing or making up self produced materials; instead they direct you to reading material to read and ask you to discuss. Also, there is a lot of team learning in Distance Education. Community is important and online professors rely on the teams and communities to help the class to be successful. Students now have a voice and can relate the subject matter at hand to their background knowledge. In the past, students were just there to learn. The instructor was the main source and the typical class protocol was lecture. Each class was exactly the same as it didn't make a difference the backgrounds of students. There has been a major shift from this instructor-centered learning to learner-centered learning.
Chute, A., Thompson, M. & Hancock, B. (1999). The McGraw-Hill handbook of distance learning: An implementation guide for trainers and human resources professionals. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 204-217. [11 pages]
3. What are some of the most referenced theories in these readings?
Constructivist theory that requires learners to play an active role in their learning. It asks teachers to merely be facilitators instead of direct teachers. In constructivist learning, the learner takes things in their background and brings it to learning to find their own meaning.
Vygotsky's theory of Social Development talks about how not only do we learn things from the content of the class we are taking, but the learning also depends on others and the social aspect. Further theorist have expanded his ideas and have stated that working in online communities enables students to do better than if they were working alone.
Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. (Eds.) (2004). Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning. Toward a Theory of Online Learning, 33-60. Athabasca, CA: Athabasca University. [27 pages]
4. How do you see the theories discussed and other theories as being used in Distance Learning?
I definitely see Vygotsky's theory of Social Development being used in all of my online distance classes. Professors strive for us to work as a community to have result products. While I understand the theories behind it, for me personally, I dislike too much community interactions. I enjoy discussion board chats and such, but honestly, do not enjoy things such as group projects from a distance. I am in my 5th semester of online distance learning and find that there always tends to be one "bum" student who does not pull their weight (as in any group) but its much harder to accomodate one another online. We all take distance learning courses because our lives are so busy, and then we have to coordinate with 3-4 others.
I also feel that Learner Based theories are also very present in distance education. A lot of professors have students take pre-tests to figure out where to begin and how much knowledge a class already has. I am in Professor Dorn's class and he actively engages in discussion and I feel that he uses this theory quite often. If we don't understand something, he can tell from the discussions and explains or asks us more questions so we figure it out ourselves. This being said, while I do see it in some classes, I have also found this is very hard for teachers to do because sometimes things aren't so clear cut. I've had other professors who I would never say this was a theory they prescribed to. So I believe it depends on the professor involved.
5. If you had to support your approach to Distance Education at some time (hint: like on your qualifying exams), what would you point out as some of the important theories of interest?
My important theories of interest would include the ones I already mentioned. The one being most important to me being constructivist approach. I constantly try to bring this into my own classroom and find that students who learn based on prior knowledge really learn, versus just learning recall. If a student learns through doing something, they are much more likely to take that with them. I guess it goes back to old saying "“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime”. If you teach students how to use their knowledge and relate it, they can always use that.
Another theory that I personally like and find important is Knowles' Andragogy theory. Knowles'
states that "(1) Adults need to know why they need to learn something (2) Adults need to learn experientially, (3) Adults approach learning as problem-solving, and (4) Adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value". I find this to be very true. I do not like to learn to do things that I have no idea why I am doing that, and I do not think this is only for adults- I think young learners also need an idea of why they are learning. Actually, I find it funny that on the websites talking about this theory it relates it to adult learning mostly. As I read through all of these statements I directly think of my students. They need these things too and they are just 6th graders.
Kearsley, George. TIP: The Theories. Retrieved October 1, 2008 at http://tip.psychology.org/knowles.html.
6. What types of things might be important for you to know about Distance Education if you are looking for a job in this field?
It would be important for a potential distance education professional to know the theories that they agree with so that they can put these to work. I also think that it would be important for you to know the background of distance education as well as the types that are available. Often times we think of distance education and assume online, there are still many other types of distance education. In addition to knowing about distance education, I really believe you just need to know about teaching in general. A good background in education and psychology will take you a long way. Teaching children and teaching adults are different, but a lot of things can relate in the same way.
There have been many different trends and technologies that have made a large impact on Distance Education. One major trend is the need for classes that fit students schedules. On campus classes do not allow for things such as full time jobs and families as much as a class where you can go online and do it whatever time of day you want (doesn't allow for much time for sleep I must add...). Another trend, is OSS (Open Source Software) such as Moodle being offered to distance learners of all ages. I know that my middle school students use Moodle and love it! A few technologies that have shaped Distance Education of course are synchronous and asynchronous communication. There are so many possibilities with these technologies. Of course, Distance Education has most been shaped by the every growing Internet capabilities and e-mail technologies. When I was in elementary school were still using huge floppy disks (side note: which by the way, isn't it funny that on newer programs the save button looks like a floppy disk- and hardly anyone uses floppy disks anymore?). I remember getting my first computer when I was in 9th grade (late 90's) and the Internet was something new and exciting. Now its apart of my everyday life.
2. What is currently happening in the field of Distance Education? How is this different or the same as what has happened in history?
Currently, Distance Education is primarily learner centered. Teachers act as facilitators. They guide the students to the knowledge- teachers are not spending hours lecturing or making up self produced materials; instead they direct you to reading material to read and ask you to discuss. Also, there is a lot of team learning in Distance Education. Community is important and online professors rely on the teams and communities to help the class to be successful. Students now have a voice and can relate the subject matter at hand to their background knowledge. In the past, students were just there to learn. The instructor was the main source and the typical class protocol was lecture. Each class was exactly the same as it didn't make a difference the backgrounds of students. There has been a major shift from this instructor-centered learning to learner-centered learning.
Chute, A., Thompson, M. & Hancock, B. (1999). The McGraw-Hill handbook of distance learning: An implementation guide for trainers and human resources professionals. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 204-217. [11 pages]
3. What are some of the most referenced theories in these readings?
Constructivist theory that requires learners to play an active role in their learning. It asks teachers to merely be facilitators instead of direct teachers. In constructivist learning, the learner takes things in their background and brings it to learning to find their own meaning.
Vygotsky's theory of Social Development talks about how not only do we learn things from the content of the class we are taking, but the learning also depends on others and the social aspect. Further theorist have expanded his ideas and have stated that working in online communities enables students to do better than if they were working alone.
Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. (Eds.) (2004). Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning. Toward a Theory of Online Learning, 33-60. Athabasca, CA: Athabasca University. [27 pages]
4. How do you see the theories discussed and other theories as being used in Distance Learning?
I definitely see Vygotsky's theory of Social Development being used in all of my online distance classes. Professors strive for us to work as a community to have result products. While I understand the theories behind it, for me personally, I dislike too much community interactions. I enjoy discussion board chats and such, but honestly, do not enjoy things such as group projects from a distance. I am in my 5th semester of online distance learning and find that there always tends to be one "bum" student who does not pull their weight (as in any group) but its much harder to accomodate one another online. We all take distance learning courses because our lives are so busy, and then we have to coordinate with 3-4 others.
I also feel that Learner Based theories are also very present in distance education. A lot of professors have students take pre-tests to figure out where to begin and how much knowledge a class already has. I am in Professor Dorn's class and he actively engages in discussion and I feel that he uses this theory quite often. If we don't understand something, he can tell from the discussions and explains or asks us more questions so we figure it out ourselves. This being said, while I do see it in some classes, I have also found this is very hard for teachers to do because sometimes things aren't so clear cut. I've had other professors who I would never say this was a theory they prescribed to. So I believe it depends on the professor involved.
5. If you had to support your approach to Distance Education at some time (hint: like on your qualifying exams), what would you point out as some of the important theories of interest?
My important theories of interest would include the ones I already mentioned. The one being most important to me being constructivist approach. I constantly try to bring this into my own classroom and find that students who learn based on prior knowledge really learn, versus just learning recall. If a student learns through doing something, they are much more likely to take that with them. I guess it goes back to old saying "“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime”. If you teach students how to use their knowledge and relate it, they can always use that.
Another theory that I personally like and find important is Knowles' Andragogy theory. Knowles'
states that "(1) Adults need to know why they need to learn something (2) Adults need to learn experientially, (3) Adults approach learning as problem-solving, and (4) Adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value". I find this to be very true. I do not like to learn to do things that I have no idea why I am doing that, and I do not think this is only for adults- I think young learners also need an idea of why they are learning. Actually, I find it funny that on the websites talking about this theory it relates it to adult learning mostly. As I read through all of these statements I directly think of my students. They need these things too and they are just 6th graders.
Kearsley, George. TIP: The Theories. Retrieved October 1, 2008 at http://tip.psychology.org/knowles.html.
6. What types of things might be important for you to know about Distance Education if you are looking for a job in this field?
It would be important for a potential distance education professional to know the theories that they agree with so that they can put these to work. I also think that it would be important for you to know the background of distance education as well as the types that are available. Often times we think of distance education and assume online, there are still many other types of distance education. In addition to knowing about distance education, I really believe you just need to know about teaching in general. A good background in education and psychology will take you a long way. Teaching children and teaching adults are different, but a lot of things can relate in the same way.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Unit 1: Reflection on Distance Education
How is distance education defined?
Distance education is defined as a type of learning that occurs at a distance. There are specific traits it must possess though to truly be considered distance education. Distance education must be offered through a formally based school. It occurs via some means of division of student from teacher; often times the student and teacher are not even in the same part of the country. This leads to the next part of distance education, it has to include some sort of "interactive telecommunications". Basically, there has to be some sort of communication going on in order to be a fully functional class that takes the place of a face-to-face class. In addition, it is important in distance education to have a community of students working together to act somewhat like a face-to-face class and have many resources and learning experiences available to all of the students.
Schlosser, L. A., & Simonson, M. (2002). Distance education: definition and glossary of terms. Bloomington, In: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
How did distance education get started and how has it progressed through the years?
Distance education shows its roots back in the 1800's when students and teachers used correspondence classes. These classes made higher education available to more students, especially those who lacked the wealth that living at and attending a higher education school would cost. In the 1940s and 1950s schools were starting to experiment with using radio and television as a means to educate students at a distance. The major flaw of this method of delivery was that it was one way- no communication between the teacher and the student. In the 1980s the United States saw a shortage of teachers along with the opening of many new rural schools who lacked qualified teachers. New courses became available for these schools via satellite television. By 1989, nearly all states were involved in some kind of distance education. In 1992, the House of Education signed into effect a bill that allowed more Internet based education. It removed the rules that no student could earn a degree entirely online, it allowed for federal aid to be used for Internet classes as well as removed the requirement of 12 hours face-to-face classes each week. Today there are many classes offered online both through universities as well as public schools (such as Florida Virtual School). Distance education has grown tremendously and it is now possible to earn an entire degree in the comfort of your own home. Many school districts also offer online classes for students in kindergarten through 12th grade as it allows them to offer many classes they cannot offer at each school. We may not find 15 students interested in learning Japanese at a small school in my hometown, but if we poll the entire state of Florida, chances are we have enough students interested to have a distance course.
McIsaac, M.S. & Gunawardena, C.N. (2004). Distance Education. In D.H. Jonassen, ed. Handbook of research for educational communications and technology, Second Edition: a project of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. 355-39
Sherry, L. (1996). Issues in distance learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4), 337-365
What are some forms of distance education? Are some better than others?
There are many forms of distance education. Early methods included correspondence, radio and television. Most commonly found today are courses via correspondence, television or Internet based, generally the later. I do mention correspondence courses as I do know some colleges did offer them up until recently (and may even still) and some technical courses advertise learning this way (I'm sure we all recall hearing the commercials late at night when we cannot fall asleep). Some methods are better than others. Radio and television are most limited because there is not an opportunity to converse with others. Both are very one-way learning. A student would listen to the teacher talk and that would be the extent of the learning- very direct. Some schools still offer telecourses on public broadcasting stations. I personally find them to be very dry and uninteresting and know that I could not finish a degree if I were expected to learn from those courses. Correspondence also has limitations. When I think of correspondence degrees I generally think via the mail. The mail tends to run slow and it would take a lot of time for feedback. I feel the best method for distance education is via the Internet. The Internet has so many possibilities. One can discuss with programs like BlackBoard and use discussion posts to feel like you are a part of a learning community. You can also work in groups and communicate through chats, instant messenger or e-mail. Overall, the Internet method seems the fastest and most efficient method for receiving a complete education at a distance.
What distance education organizations stand out in the history of distance education and what can we learn from them?
"The United States Distance Learning Association was the first nonprofit Distance Learning association in the United States to support Distance Learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training and communications." This association was developed in 1987 and has many learning communities including K-12, higher education and telemedicine (to name a few). The USDLA helps to facilitate research and development within education and distance learning. The USDLA is very helpful to distance learners and teachers as it puts out a Journal that details legal issues as well as training and new technology.
Major Ahievements. In United States Distance Learning Association. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from http://www.usdla.org/html/aboutUs/majorAchievements.htm
How do you know if distance education is right for you?
An easy way to figure out if distance education is right for you is by going online and taking a short quiz such as the one at http://www.distancelearn.org/readyDL.cfm to see what it says. It basically has you think about different situations and your learning styles to see if you "fit" with distance learning. A definite must for distance education is your must be dedicated and a self-motivator.
Distance education is defined as a type of learning that occurs at a distance. There are specific traits it must possess though to truly be considered distance education. Distance education must be offered through a formally based school. It occurs via some means of division of student from teacher; often times the student and teacher are not even in the same part of the country. This leads to the next part of distance education, it has to include some sort of "interactive telecommunications". Basically, there has to be some sort of communication going on in order to be a fully functional class that takes the place of a face-to-face class. In addition, it is important in distance education to have a community of students working together to act somewhat like a face-to-face class and have many resources and learning experiences available to all of the students.
Schlosser, L. A., & Simonson, M. (2002). Distance education: definition and glossary of terms. Bloomington, In: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
How did distance education get started and how has it progressed through the years?
Distance education shows its roots back in the 1800's when students and teachers used correspondence classes. These classes made higher education available to more students, especially those who lacked the wealth that living at and attending a higher education school would cost. In the 1940s and 1950s schools were starting to experiment with using radio and television as a means to educate students at a distance. The major flaw of this method of delivery was that it was one way- no communication between the teacher and the student. In the 1980s the United States saw a shortage of teachers along with the opening of many new rural schools who lacked qualified teachers. New courses became available for these schools via satellite television. By 1989, nearly all states were involved in some kind of distance education. In 1992, the House of Education signed into effect a bill that allowed more Internet based education. It removed the rules that no student could earn a degree entirely online, it allowed for federal aid to be used for Internet classes as well as removed the requirement of 12 hours face-to-face classes each week. Today there are many classes offered online both through universities as well as public schools (such as Florida Virtual School). Distance education has grown tremendously and it is now possible to earn an entire degree in the comfort of your own home. Many school districts also offer online classes for students in kindergarten through 12th grade as it allows them to offer many classes they cannot offer at each school. We may not find 15 students interested in learning Japanese at a small school in my hometown, but if we poll the entire state of Florida, chances are we have enough students interested to have a distance course.
McIsaac, M.S. & Gunawardena, C.N. (2004). Distance Education. In D.H. Jonassen, ed. Handbook of research for educational communications and technology, Second Edition: a project of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. 355-39
Sherry, L. (1996). Issues in distance learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4), 337-365
What are some forms of distance education? Are some better than others?
There are many forms of distance education. Early methods included correspondence, radio and television. Most commonly found today are courses via correspondence, television or Internet based, generally the later. I do mention correspondence courses as I do know some colleges did offer them up until recently (and may even still) and some technical courses advertise learning this way (I'm sure we all recall hearing the commercials late at night when we cannot fall asleep). Some methods are better than others. Radio and television are most limited because there is not an opportunity to converse with others. Both are very one-way learning. A student would listen to the teacher talk and that would be the extent of the learning- very direct. Some schools still offer telecourses on public broadcasting stations. I personally find them to be very dry and uninteresting and know that I could not finish a degree if I were expected to learn from those courses. Correspondence also has limitations. When I think of correspondence degrees I generally think via the mail. The mail tends to run slow and it would take a lot of time for feedback. I feel the best method for distance education is via the Internet. The Internet has so many possibilities. One can discuss with programs like BlackBoard and use discussion posts to feel like you are a part of a learning community. You can also work in groups and communicate through chats, instant messenger or e-mail. Overall, the Internet method seems the fastest and most efficient method for receiving a complete education at a distance.
What distance education organizations stand out in the history of distance education and what can we learn from them?
"The United States Distance Learning Association was the first nonprofit Distance Learning association in the United States to support Distance Learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training and communications." This association was developed in 1987 and has many learning communities including K-12, higher education and telemedicine (to name a few). The USDLA helps to facilitate research and development within education and distance learning. The USDLA is very helpful to distance learners and teachers as it puts out a Journal that details legal issues as well as training and new technology.
Major Ahievements. In United States Distance Learning Association. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from http://www.usdla.org/html/aboutUs/majorAchievements.htm
How do you know if distance education is right for you?
An easy way to figure out if distance education is right for you is by going online and taking a short quiz such as the one at http://www.distancelearn.org/readyDL.cfm to see what it says. It basically has you think about different situations and your learning styles to see if you "fit" with distance learning. A definite must for distance education is your must be dedicated and a self-motivator.
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