Defining Distance Education

Distance learning has evolved a significant amount throughout the past 200 years. Distance learning has its roots in Europe and evidence shows that as far back as 1883 there was a Swedish newspaper that “touted the opportunity to study composition through the post”. (Simonson, et. al, 2009) Many of the early versions of distance learning (such as correspondence courses) were excellent strategies that serve as the foundation for distance learning as it is known today. Prior to studying other aspects of distance learning such as delivery medium, support and quality my perception of distance learning was very narrow. I defined distance learning by one aspect; the physical separation of student and teacher. Although this is the fundamental concept of distance learning there are many aspects that need to be incorporated into distance learning.

Individuals pursue distance learning for a variety of reasons. Some professionals pursue distance learning to further their career or because it is required by the organization. Others pursue it out of their own desire and it is the only option, it is impossible for them to attend a campus based class due to personal responsibilities. These choices would not be available for the learners of today without the use of technology. Youtube, video conferencing and the widespread use of the internet can increase the effectiveness of distance learning, although there is some debate on the effect media has on actual learning. Results have shown that media is “merely a vehicle”. (Clark, 1983, as cited in Simonson, et. al, 2009). Clark's findings somewhat discounted the significance of media in distance learning but proves that there is much more to learn about distance learning. Current technologies are very innovative and are constantly changing; distance education has to stay current but be careful not to utilize technologies that can negatively affect the results of distance learning. For example, delivering course material that is in new proprietary file formats and will most likely not be able to be opened or viewed by the learner.

The impact of technology and further study on distance education causes the definition of distance education to evolve. As the meaning of distance education is updated other aspects are brought to theorist’s attention. Much more emphasis is being placed on supporting and developing rather than promoting the latest technological approach to distance learning. It is well known now those faculties involved in distance education have a significant impact on quality and results. Using methods such as ADDIE and HPT an efficient module can be developed that accounts for the many aspects of distance education.

Simmonson, 2010 defined distance learning as learning in which the learning group (teachers, students, and resources) are separated by geography and sometimes time. Distance learning utilizes instructional media and communication tools to deliver content and has developed into a learning/teaching approach that now requires constant maintenance. To completely define distance education the considerations of cost, quality and effectiveness need to be included. External factors such as drive for profit can negatively infect the intent of distance education. The demand for learning at a distance is very high, distance learning tools give institutions and corporations the opportunity to disseminate a great variety of information and instructional media in a quick and standardized method.

As stated previously, individuals pursue distance education for a variety of reasons and have different demands. Just as flexibility is important to distance learners the institution must also be flexible to student demands. To improve distance education it is important to have a method to assess its effectiveness and identify where improvement is needed. In order for distance education to continue quality must be an important aspect. Trained individuals will need to be in place to handle the continuing technological advances as they pertain to education. Just as the computer made its first appearance in classrooms then exploded, soon every classroom will have access to teleconferencing combined with face-to-face instruction. We do not want to be in a position where there is a lack of trained individuals and have “...e-learning activities built by individuals that lack expertise to produce effective products.” (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 71) The use of distance learning will continue to grow and the challenge will be to design learning systems that provide equal learning experiences for all forms of learning and all types of learners.

References
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). 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.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Simonson, M. (Producer). (n.d.). Distance education: the next generation [Video Podcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4744647&Survey=1&47=6469849&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&