The articles by Moller, Huett, Foshay, and Colman divided distance education by the industry approach, the higher education approach, and the K-12 approach. My current (and I hope my future focus) is in higher education. To that end, I only focused on the second article the related specifically to higher education.
Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) noted that higher education could increase distance education significantly. They also noted that as higher education programs looked to increase growth while decreasing expenditures, distance education programs would grow. I agree with this conjecture. Two and a half years after this article, I can honestly say as an online instructor and a student at an online program, higher education has indeed met the call to increase services to a new brand of student – the working student, the mid-career change student, the full time caregiver student. Distance education, especially online education is convenient.
There is a caveat to the ideas presented by Moller, Foshay, and Huett. Traditionally, distance education has been met by instructors using a craft approach. By the “craft approach, an individual teacher fully designs and develops the course and the related materials based on what has worked for him or her in the traditional classroom and puts it on the web” (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 67). This is problematic. What works face to face will not always work online. The nuances of tone and body language are not available online. Even in video teleconferenced courses, tone and body language are not as accurate as in face-to-face situations. As Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) concluded, Taking what one is familiar with and/or using what works in one environment and simply duplicating it in a new environment can lead to limited positive results (p. 67).
Simonson offers direction on how to integrate technology in what seems to be a “new” frontier in education – distance education or more specifically online education. Simonson (2000) wrote, “The key to success in a distance learning classroom is not which technologies are used but how they are used and what information is communicated using the technologies” (p. 29). Given the fact that there is a multitude of free and paid technologies available, instructors and designers alike must choose wisely. What will work best with the delivery platform? What will work best with the subject? What will work best with the student population? The careful consideration of technologies will allow students to benefit from the instructor’s knowledge as well as the use of the technology. Simonson (2000) theorized “A more appropriate strategy is to provide different but equivalent learning experiences to each learner. In other words, it is important to employ a variety of technologies to help students achieve learning outcomes. Equivalency is the foundation for this” (p. 29 – 30). Simonson (2000) concluded that equivalency must include assessing available technologies, determining learning outcomes, identifying learning experiences and matching them to available technologies, and preparing the learning experience for online delivery. Instead of haphazard weaving of technologies, considering possibilities and integrating best strategies will be more beneficial. Inevitably, it will also be more cost efficient.
Erica’s opinion? As an instructor and student of distance education, I agree with Simonson that technologies must be judiciously chosen and implemented. I also think that Moller, Foshay and Huett are right that distance education will expand because higher education wants cost effective growth plans. Because the articles are a little dated, I think that my disagreement with them stems from my own practical experience. Yes, distance education has increased exponentially over the last two years. Yes, it is important to implement workable technologies. Yes, it is important to review programs at least yearly. The reality (in my opinion) is that there are instructors that will not change their method of delivering education be it online or face to face. The reality is that there are also instructors that are techno phobic and will not try technologies because they fear the learning curve.
Distance education is the wave of the future. In order to be innovative, education should integrate new technologies and knowledge. Distance education should be current and should be the most innovative option. Because distance education meets the needs of a variety of students, it must be innovative, fresh, and engaging. I think that Simonson has the correct ideas on education. As educators, we need to know what technologies are available and well as knowing what are students need and expect from their courses. It would then reason that equivalency is the best option.
References
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.
Simonson, M. (2000). Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29–34.
Erica, I agree with you on many of your beliefs when it comes to distance education. I, like many have taken multiple classes by distance education, the difference I have seen in the last 25 years are great. The first class I took was a correspondence course while attending Marshall University. This course was hard, due to the fact that the instructor did not know me or the area I came from. There was no face to face contact and I never really knew what he wanted from the course.
ReplyDeleteAs distance education keeps evolving I feel that it will get better. I know we still will not have the face to face, contact so we cannot see what they are expecting of us. But due to the new technology we can contact the instructor when we need to and hopefully get a more personal response to our questions about the classes we are taking.
Lou,
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that I do in my online classrooms is that I ask students where they are from and if they have anything I need to know about that will influence class participation. Usually, students are forthcoming in private communication with me and I keep a list each term. I can refer to this when there is bad weather and I know what students may be without service and will not be able to participate in class. I know that not all instructors do this. I think for distance education to continue to improve, we must as educators challenge ourselves to helping students make communities within the online classroom. To me, this makes a huge difference is student success.
Erica
Erica
ReplyDeleteOne problem we have in our area is that the internet service is not very good. I think I am running on 1 g, which is not very much. A lot of our students do not have internet or do the homes in the area in which I teach. I have students that come to my classroom who has never been on the internet. Sometimes I feel like I work in the Stone Age. We are lucky that our schools have internet and a lot of the latest technology, because most of the students would not have any idea what to expect as they got older and went out into the work place.
You noted that some instructors just will not change and adapt to online instruction I think that some students will not adapt to technology either. Online instruction may not be for everyone. No matter how custom the technology and methodologies of instruction are, some students, as instructors, will still hold to their traditional ideas of education. I am not endorsing this notion but I believe it is just one of those realities. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think it is important for colleges and universities who offer distance and online education to carefully explain the requirements student need to be successful. It's not just a computer and internet access. Students have to know that distance and online education can mean that they have to be more active and involved in their education. I have had students tell me that even though they feel the community in the classroom, there is not always a personal connection that they feel in a face to face classroom.
The bottom line I think is to make sure students are prepared in all aspects (mentally, learning, technology, etc) for online education. I wholly support programs that allow students to try a first class to see if online learning is for them. It's a dose of reality without feeling like you are stuck there if it's not right for you.
Thanks,
Erica