Defining Distance Learning

The definition of distance learning changes because education is always evolving. The context of distance learning is the force behind these changes. The present course within these changes is stemmed by the technological growth in communication. The students of today are no longer held to the standards of textbooks being mail to their homes. Students today are able to communicate within environments that didn’t exist twenty five years ago. The student and the instructor are still separated but no longer over great distances. Today a distance learner can be located a few miles from the institution of learning. They simple may not be able to attend class on the campus for some reason. The learners today are presented with greater choices than in the past. Therefore the learner is now challenged to more independent and in tune with the atmosphere of learning. The distractions are far greater than the past.

The factors today behind and within education are not what the past presented. Today we can be separated from the institution and still have face to face conversation with our instructor. The dynamics of the student instructor interaction has truly changed for the better. As stated in our reading online, “The growth of online distance learning (e learning) is explosive”. Moller L., Foshay W., and Huett J. 2008. With this explosion technologies with the environment of the internet are exploding. This enables the instructional designer to explore new theories and greater innovation within the field. Which provides new methods and styles for the learning today. The ID can now explore styles of learning that were just theory a few years ago.

As technology grows this gives the instructional designer great ranges to push the learning environment. This also causes the designer to be more aware of the capabilities within the technology today. If there are products available to the instructional designer and they are not aware of them, a step toward progression may be missed. Therefore the Instructional designer needs to stay abreast of what the field has available to enhance their creations. To aid the ID in this process a technical advisor could help them stay up to date with what’s available to them. Many of the products available today could easily be learned by the ID and passed on to the learner.

I have watch distance learning since the early nineties. I entered the field of development in the late eighties. This has given me a unique seat of observation. Before beginning this course, I had been involved in distance learning while serving on active duty. My definition had been formed by my involvement with it over the years. I noted since starting this course and reading the material within this class that much has taken place since I first got involved. The evolution of distance learning has helped me over the years but it has advanced my learning because of its’ flexibilities. As I watch the future unfolds before me. I see the distance learning changing even more over years to come.

Technology is constantly growing, with new ideas and better methods to get to help the learner understand information today. The methods that we used yesterday are expanding into new realms of learning that could be seen in the past. Learners today are not learning better, they are just learning differently. The military is recruiting young people with great motor skills and training them to do jobs that once took years of training. Now with technology these jobs no longer need college educated individuals and very expensive war machines. This is why instructional designer need to keep up with what is happening in the field today. The future will see simulations within the classroom of the future that we dream of now. The learner will step into virtual 3D classroom and never level their home.

Reference

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.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

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