EDUC 8842 - PRINCIPLES OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

NEXT GENERATION DISTANCE EDUCATION - Module 1

Distance Education has been in existence for several decades, but the medium of transmission keep changing as the world changes. It started with correspondence study, thereafter, over the last five decades it was delivered through open universities established in many countries. With the invention of internet, distance education is gaining much ground through the use of technologies. Simonson is of the opinion that distance education has two faces comprising distance teaching and distance learning. It is a formal education in which instructors, learners and resources are separated by distant and locales. The next paradigm will be an exponential growth of distance education without it replacing the traditional schools and will be incorporated into most learning environments inclusive of K-12, higher education, professional and training (Laureate, 2008a).

Moller, Huett, Foshay and Coleman also share the view of distance education in K-12, higher education and training learning environments with a focus on instructional design. Distance education is often referred to as virtual learning, e-learning or distance learning. The instructional design must take cognizance of instructors and learners needs and provide adequate resources to meet these needs. This will help sustain the growth of e-learning in the various environments (Laureate, 2008a; Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008). In the training arena, the driving forces are economic and access. Individually or collaboratively, e-learning gives the opportunity of individualization with web-based instructions for personal customization. As this evolves, learners can own their learning to suit their needs (Moller et al., 2008, May/June). The significant growth of e-learning is rapidly transforming the higher education sector. Most colleges and universities see it as a means of sustaining growth. E-learning provides an avenue to serve remote learners and boost the financial economy of the schools, especially in tuition-driven institutions (Moller et al., 2008, July/August). According to Huett, Moller, Foshay and Coleman (2008), e-learning in K-12 environment has experienced a tremendous growth with some state governments providing virtual K-12 schools or funding online programs in traditional schools. However, for e-learning to sustain the wave for future, role of instructional design is critical.

In view of above, I agree with the position of the authors. Distance education is approaching critical mass, and success is highly dependent on the instructors, learners and resources in terms of cost-effective models and technology tools considered in the instructional design. In line with the transformation of the use of computers in the society, within the next few years, the various learning environments will provide access to quality training and education through distance education.

References

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008a). Distance Education: The Next Generation. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

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.