For this generation distance education must continue to develop because the Internet houses so much information and so many avenues that can increase knowledge. Moller, et. al. (part 1) believe that technology is a vehicle that expands cognition because its use is relative to real world experience and it fosters social interactions that support and reinforce knowledge building. They go on to mention that distance education is needed because our current system is lacking in the types of learners it produces. They state, “Our educational system is producing learners who prefer, or are able only to interact with the content and/or the instructor, but not each other” (p. 74, ¶ 8). In a time where collaboration has been found to be a key to cognitive growth and constructivist theories, we must veer away from this type of learning. Technology allows us to go beyond the walls of the traditional classroom setting.
The integration of technology and distance education also fulfills requirements set forth by the federal government. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandates all students are technology literate by eighth grade (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2009). Moreover, the act “requires states to offer alternative schooling options to students attending schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress” (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008, p. 63, ¶ 5).
Referencing Mupinga (2005), Huett, et. al suggest that due to “teacher shortages and overcrowded schools” (p. 63, ¶ 5), it is inevitable that distance education will continue to grow. Distance education offers flexibility for learners as well as instructors. As said by Moller, et. al (part 2):
- The inclusion of technology often requires new skill sets, new ways of thinking,
new time and resource management skills, new ways of communication and new
communication boundaries. - Flexibility, greater individual student
participation, and the asynchronous nature of conversations that allow students
and faculty time to think about and formulate responses and make greater
connections…allowing for more in-depth. And higher quality
discussions. - Faculty appreciate the opportunity to advance their technical
know-how and develop new teaching and presentation skills.
I completely agree with the views of Moller, Huett, Foshay, Coleman, and Simonson. Distance education has become a new platform for learning. The technology behind it is supported by theory. As we move forward I can only foresee distance education becoming an option that all facets of education explore and integrate to build knowledge stores of learners. Per Simonson (2008), “distance education is widely adopted and approaching critical mass in society…if we look at the past patterns in educational technology we can expect exponential growth of distance education to continue”.
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.
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. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 33281719.
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 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 33991516.
Simeon, M. (2008). Distance education: The next generation. Laureate Education, Inc. DVD. Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.
U. S. Department of Education (May 2009). Evaluation of the enhancing education through technology program: Final report. Available at http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/netts/finalreport.html
Tracee,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the fact that you elaborated a bit more on the connection between distance education and K-12 education. K-12 virtual schooling happens to be a main area of interest for me. Here’s just a few extra thoughts…
Many in the educational field view virtual schools as vehicles for innovative teaching and learning. However, not everyone has totally embraced that idea. One major concern surfaces when discussing K-12 virtual school implementation: competency of online faculty. There’s no doubt delivery of online instruction can be challenging for a teacher accustomed to the typical K-12 classroom. A virtual educator has to switch from presenting content in a predominantly face-to-face setting, to engaging online in technology-mediated communication, implementing consistent assessment of student progress, and, providing timely and constructive feedback on a more individualized basis. In this case, critics of online K-12 learning programs are not off base in expressing concern over the competency of online faculty.
The National Education Technology Plan (U.S. Department of Education, 2006) provides a set of action steps for consideration by school systems as they begin or continue to transform into 21st century learning institutions. The plan makes the following recommendations in addressing virtual teacher quality: require online faculty to meet NCLB’s “highly-qualified” requirement; and, mandate completion of approved professional development coursework to ensure competency. Watson and Gemin (2009) add: develop a specific set of skills targeted in professional development training for virtual school administrators, including supervision of a virtual teaching staff; secure provisions for hiring qualified out-of-state teachers; and, use the lure of virtual instruction to attract teachers who are retired, on pregnancy leave, or, lacking job opportunities where they live. With such actions, virtual school educators can benefit from more flexibility in addressing individual learners, teaching outside of rigid time/place constraints, spending less time managing discipline, and, being creative with lesson planning.
Leasa
U.S. Department of Education. (2004). Toward a new golden age in American education: How the internet, the law, and today’s students are revolutionizing expectations. National Education Technology Plan retrieved May 19, 2009, from:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/theplan/NETP_Final.pdf
Watson, J., & Gemin, G. (2009, April). Promising practices in online learning: Management and operations of online programs. Research report retrieved May 23, 2009, from:
http://www.inacol.org/resources/promisingpractices/iNACOL_PP_MgmntOp_042309.pdf