The definition of distance learning is continually evolving and
can be subjective according to personal experiences, type of profession, and
technological savviness. Although the 2020 worldwide pandemic may have brought
distance learning to light for many people around the world, the basic concept
has been in existence for decades, even centuries. The earliest form consisted
of correspondence studies, followed by European open universities about 40-50
years ago, and most recently with the exponential growth of distance education resulting
from the development of the worldwide web in the 1980s and 1990s (Laureate
Education, n.d.).
Having completed my undergraduate degree before the introduction
of the internet, my early definition of distance learning narrowly encompassed
the availability of higher education for working professionals raising a
family. At that time, I questioned the validity of distance education for most other
groups and wondered why traditional learners would choose a path that may be
inferior. I also knew distance learning to be available as an alternative
placement for K-12 students through private, public, and charter schools.
Alternative to me at that time meant, options for children who could not be
educated in the traditional in-person system.
In 2014, I became a graduate-level distance learner myself at a
state university that offered a great program, but my family obligations and
geographical distance did not make it feasible to commute. In my online
classes, I met traditional-age students, who lived within the university
community but chose to take some classes online. I began to realize that the
rigor was comparable, if not greater, and my respect for distance education
grew. I was grateful for the opportunity and enjoyed the flexibility. I agree
with Dr. Michael Simonson’s definition of distance education as
institutionally-based, formal education that is composed of not only distance
learning, but an equally important component, distance teaching. It is not the
same as self-study. Communication technologies are used to link the learning
group (teachers, students, resources) who are separated by geography and time
(Laureate Education, n.d.).
The technology capabilities were much more limited than they are
now and little to no interaction during the initial learning phase was
available. This made is very difficult to grasp complex concepts such as how
the hearing mechanism in the human brain works. The environment was challenging
and students like myself needed to be self-disciplined and responsible to
succeed. I struggled with learning from teaching strategies that seemed to be
transferred without adaptation from in-person learning to distance learning.
However, I could see the evolution happening. Change does not happen perfectly
overnight and I persevered because I was highly motivated to finish. Veletsianos and Houlden discuss the
idea that "more flexibility brings with it more independence which in
turn call for learners to be more responsible, more self-directed and more
self-motivated" (Veletsianos & Houlden, 2019, p.
461). This may require more time on the students' part. It
may lead to isolation from the support of instructors and peers
and may lead to attrition.
The 2020 pandemic made distance learning for continuing education
and certification renewal in speech and language available at little or no cost
to me for the first time in my professional career. A live webinar presented by
highly qualified and experienced professionals were strongpoints. However, the evaluation
was basic and the application was non-existent, lacking two important ID
principles. Therefore, I am left to question the overall effectiveness. Moller
et al., state, “It is not only possible but likely, that users of e-learning
have never encountered a product built according to sound ID principles”
(Moller et al., 2008, p. 71).
As technology continues to evolve, so too will the changes in the
teaching strategies used in distance education. Learners themselves will
continue to evolve and so the methods will adjust to reach new learner needs.
Trends such as gamification and micro-learning will be incorporated into
distance learning. Learning will be more interactive and part of the metaverse.
Avery Akkineni says, “2022’s word of the year will be Web 3.0” (Costa, 2022).
However, more research is needed and will continue to be needed to evaluate the
effectiveness of sound instructional design principles. I’d like to see more
targeted instruction that is more inclusive of diverse learner needs, rather than
massive open online courses (Simonson et al., 2019). Distance education will
continue to evolve, but will instructional designers be able to ensure sound instructional principles are employed and projects are evaluated, assessed,
and applied appropriately?
References
Simonson, M., Zvacek, S., & Smaldino, S. (2019).
Definitions, History, and Theories of Distance Education. In Teaching and
learning at a distance (7th ed., pp. 31–42). Information Age Publishing.
Pandemic crisis remote teaching is not the same as quality distance education...
