Communication in Distance Learning-Module 2

As Dr. Siemens (2010) stated, “more and more of us are having experiences communicating online”. People are beginning to realize that you can have a meaningful learning experience and develop meaningful relationships online just like you can face-to-face. I agree with Dr. Siemens about communication in distance education. It has come a long way and will continue to evolve. My first experience with an online class was in 2001. At that time, the class was basically the face-to-face version available online. I had to attend class at a specific time one day each week. The different time zones proved to be a slight challenge for some, but we managed to make it through. Some of us were in class at 9 pm while for others it was 7 am the next morning. I still had to take the regular paper-pencil assessments as if I were on campus taking the course. Since that time, online communication has improved tremendously and through the use of blogs, video conferencing, YouTube, Skype, live lectures, and class discussion posts, my online experience today is much different than in 2001. Dr. Siemens also stated, “The concept of interaction in an online environment has changed significantly”. I agree completely based on my experiences over the past 11 years.

I reviewed the following blog: http://blog.kbz.com/2011/10/moving-past-distance-learning-video-conferencing-in-academia/ and Hunting (2011) discussed the value of video conferencing to distance education. He stated that while video conferencing has been used by educators to connect with students remotely, there are three areas in which it can be a great benefit to higher learning institutions. Through the areas of research, administration, and interviews; Hunting shows how higher learning institutions can use video conferencing to save money and help benefit the school. I agree with Hunting that video conferencing helps colleagues “separated by geography” to be able to work together, it allows for different departments of the university to be able to get together to discuss budget issues and other administrative tasks, and interviews of subjects from around the world can now be conducted from the campus instead of having to hire teams of people to go out and conduct the interviews in person.

Another blog I reviewed http://www.mottobiz.com/2011/09/communication-tools-to-enhance-distance.html discussed different tools that can used in distance learning to communicate showing how communication has evolved. “Communication is critical in distance learning, and a more connected world means that many more people have the opportunity to participate in education that previously would have required them to all be in a single location” (Jariwala, 2011). Jariwala discussed three “mediums” that can be used in a distance learning setting for communication purposes: live lectures, classroom forums, and online assignment submissions. For me, I personally like how online learning has changed because it is more flexible since I do not have to attend a class once a week online and instead I can discuss with my classmates via the course’s page in our discussion posts each week. It has made it easier to be able to get a degree online with the busy demands of life. I also agree that by completing assignments using the technologies we are discussing is far more beneficial as an assessment than taking a paper-pencil assessment and submitting that to the professor. In the long run, I will learn more about the technologies available to educators if I use them to create assignments and then receive feedback versus answering questions about it on a test. I agree with Jariwala statement: “Learning online is a game changer when it comes to education.  Taking location out of the equation opens so many doors for students to learn and instructors to share” (2011).

References:

Hunting, B. (2011, October 17). Moving past distance learning - Video conferencing in acedemia
             [Web log post]. Retrieved from  http://blog.kbz.com/2011/10/moving-pastdistance-learning
             -video-conferencing-in-academia/

Jariwala, C. (2011, September 13). Communication tools to enhance learning [Web log post].
             Retrieved from http://www.mottobiz.com/2011/09/communication-tools-to       
             enhancedistance.html

Siemens, G. (2010). The future of distance education. Laureate Media. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6509797&Survey=
1&47=11068223&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

The Next Generation of Distance Education - Module 1

Distance education is vastly changing and Huett, Coleman, Foshay, and Simonson agree that if we are going to meet the needs of learners, distance education needs to evolve.  The collective opinion of the authors is there must be effective training for teachers and better instructional design. Simonson states that in order to provide effective learning strategies in distance education, the learning experience must be equivalent to face-to-face instruction but not identical.  “Distance and face-to-face should: 1) have the same learning outcomes and 2) provide equivalent learning experiences to meet those outcomes” (Simonson, 2000). Foshay et al. proposes “the challenge for instructional design professionals is not only to evolve the field, but also to assure that the products of sound professional design practice lead the e-learning enterprise” (Foshay, Huett, & Moller, 2008).  I agree with both positions. Distance education needs to evolve just like face-to-face education constantly evolves. There must be effective and relevant training for the educators in distance education and better instructional design. Virtual High Schools are becoming the choice for many due to the flexibility and easy accessibility. Instructors must be effectively trained to design lessons that provide meaningful instruction similar to the traditional school setting.

References

Foshay, W., Huett, J., & Moller, L. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 52(4), 66-70.

Simonson, M. (2000). Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29-34.