Distance education has been around for a long time. “Distance education is described to be distance learning and distance teaching. It is described by mike Simmons to be formal education in which the learning group are separated by geography and sometimes by time (Simonson 2012).” The definition of distance learning is always changing because technology continues to change. Distance learning has been around for many years and therefore may have been described differently in the past. One of the earlier forms of distance learning was done through correspondence courses started in Europe. This stayed the primary means of distance learning until the middle of this century when instructional radio and television became more popular (Imel, 1998).
As technology has changed, so has the definition of distance learning. Videotaped lectures have been a standard in university and professional courses for the last two decades (Moore & Lockee, 1998). Audiotapes and lessons sent through the mail have been used in correspondence courses to teach subjects such as foreign language for quite some time (Teaster & Blieszner, 1999). Today, the Internet and compressed video have taken distance learning in new directions, allowing distance learning to occur in real time. Live video instruction is the most popular and fastest growing delivery mode in the United States (Ostendorf, 1997). In my thirty-four years of life I have seen distance learning change dramatically. We now have technology today that was unthinkable many years ago and therefore has changed the way we learn and teach today.
I can recall when I was in elementary school and we were just being introduced to the computer and the schools were allowing us to use the computers for short time spans throughout each day. Now the only thing we know is computers and we are using them all day in our personal lives, in schools, and in the work place. There are schools out there today who include computers and tablets in requirements instead of only textbooks. There are also many schools today who offer all classes online instead of in a classroom environment. This includes elementary, Junior high, high schools, and universities. Distance learning will soon be the core of learning in our learning environments. These changes will allow everyone to have a chance at learning many types of information regardless of where they are located, distance learning also allows schools and organizations to save money and not cut deeply into their budgets. This occurs because organizations and schools no longer have to buy large areas of space to supply to their employees so that they have an area to work.
I think many of the changes of distance learning is based on a person’s profession because not all things can be learned and absorbed online. The changes are also based on technical knowledge because the things we think cannot be taught inline may be able to be taught with the proper advanced technology to include all required aspects of learning that may be hands on to make sure the student succeeds. My learnings from this week has not altered my thinking on distance learning because they are stating all of the facts that I was currently already aware of. This may be due to me working in a training and learning environment for many years. As I continue through the course I am sure I will learn a lot of information about distance learning that I am currently unaware of.
As times continue to change I can see everyone using distance learning to train their employees and also children in school environments. As each day passes technology evolves, and with those changes distance learning will change as well and may take over. Keep your eyes open as times change and technology changes to view the massive changes that will occur in distance learning and the increase that will occur in environments that will utilize distance learning.
References
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Imel, S. (1998). Myths and realities of distance learning. Columbus, Ohio: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. Ohio State University.
Moore, D.R., & Lockee, B.B. (1998). A taxonomy of bandwidth: considerations and principles to guide practice in the design and delivery of distance education. Unpublished manuscript: Portland State University
Teaster, P., & Blieszner, R. (1999). Promises and pitfalls of the interactive television approach to teaching adult development and aging. Educational Gerontology, 25 (8), 741-754.
Ostendorf, V.A. (1997). Teaching by television. Teaching and learning at a distance: what it takes to effectively design, deliver, and evaluate programs. (71), 51-57
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