The Evolution of Distance Education: As it relates to my own personal experiences
Distance learning by definition has changed and will continue to change as humans evolve. Currently, I find the factors driving this change to be human evolution and globalization. In ancient times, distance learning occurred through travel. People had to travel in order to acquire and share knowledge. It can be difficult to realize how from Egyptian hieroglyphs, writings on papyrus paper to newspapers, books and even the news were at one time considered technological advancements which educated and continues to educate individuals’ near and far.
My original definition of distance education might have come from something I read or from the statement of a scholar, which I believed to be a classroom without walls. This definition is a short one but it rings true throughout each era and generation. My personal definition is undergoing reconstruction as I learned this week one component missing from my definition and according to Simonson & Zvacek, (2009) “distance education is institutionally based”. I am certain the term classroom implies institution based but there is room for negative interpretation. My original definition considered every other component from the sharing of data, separation of teacher and student (intellectually, socially, by space…etc.) and interactive telecommunications. The interactive telecommunications is also implied. After examination my definition will have to be reconstructed.
As I develop my skills as an instructional designer I am learning that distance education removes the “walls” to create a learning experience. The use of interactive telecommunications via the internet, web 2.0 and more allow for us to create learning experiences without the constraints of space or time. As an instructor in a classroom I use elements of distance education, which is increasing every year. I use ActivSim by McGraw-Hill which host the entire course online with the addition of real life like simulation. Another textbook publishing company Pearson offers students a virtual medical office experience. According to Simonson & Zvacek (2009) “distance education has begun to enter the mainstream”.
Such changes to the definition of distance education are not solely based on a person’s profession or by how much technological knowledge he/ she has. Grant it answers will vary by profession and skill set or lack thereof. The definition continues to change based on the blend of components by percentage. At this time the separation of teacher and student with an emphasis on presence via the use of interactive telecommunications to share data and increase the quality of presence is the right blend and current definition’s foundation. Telecommunications as a vehicle to “correspond”, create presence, share and deliver instruction is what separates institutionally based distance education programs from “private study and teach yourself programs” Simonson & Zvacek, (2009). My revised definition of distance education is an institutionally based classroom without walls which uses the appropriate blend of telecommunications to maximize this newer learning environment so that it is conducive to high quality interaction, correspondence and knowledge transfer.
My vision for the future of distance education would be similar to movie Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis where learning and working are done virtually. The focus will be on the quality of education and correspondence. I agree with William Rainey Harper a former Yale professor “The day is coming when the work done by correspondence will be in greater amount than that done in the classrooms of our academies and colleges; when the students who shall recite by correspondence will far outnumber those who make oral recitations” (Simonson & Zvacek, 2009). This week I learned the definition of distance education has changed and will continue to change as we change our perspectives and technological capabilities of the defining components.
References:
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education. Boston MA. Pearson/Ally & Bacon.
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