The evolution of distant education is underway. As with any other type of evolutionary movement, there is survival of the fittest. In order to assure successful evolution with the learner in mind, instructional design (ID) needs to meet the needs of all learners, at every level. How this instruction is designed will guide the learner, as well as popular opinion of programming, towards successful transformation. With respect to the diffusion of technological innovations, Simonson believes that “distance education is approaching critical mass acceptance”, and is in need of “significant promotion” (Simonson, 2008) in order to reach its potential as a respected form of instruction.
Through the approach of learning communities, Huett, Moller, Foshay and Coleman (2008) propose that distance education can answer the need of teacher shortages, alternative methods to meet NCLB requirements, and can assure districts and parents that children are being presented material and learning experiences which meet state standards through ID.
“The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to offer alternative schooling options to students attending schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress.” (Huett, et al, 2008). The online learning environment would allow for such alternatives. Through ID, students could engage with others within their online learning community in order to continue to build upon information and education which is received through the classroom. Teachers have greater opportunity to engage with each individual student, as well as parents, in order to guide, inform and evaluate progress being made.
The need for distance education promotion and design is essential in order to meet the needs of the learner, whether it is corporate training, higher education, teacher training, or K-12. The need for implementing standards based design is of the utmost importance in order for the e-learning environment to be more than isolated instruction or a how-to manual. This type of environment requires engagement between learners through facilitation of an instructor, and engagement with many different modes of investigation and production tools. Meeting the needs of all learners at every level of learning is essential to the success of e-learning.
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.
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.
Simonson, M. (2008) Prinicples of Distance Education Video
3 comments:
Hi Jeannine--While I am more knowledgeable about higher education, the NCLB act is something that still receives much attention. While I am aware that difficulties in some respects arise from this act, something strikes me as interesting. That is, Mupinga (as cited in Huett, Moller, Wellesley, Foshay, and Coleman. 2008) notes that "teacher shortages and overcrowed schools as two motivational factors for the rise in site-based distance education" (p. 63). Perhaps in this example students are in fact benefiting from the NCLB act. That is, while a given district might not be able to offer classes to suit all students' needs, the district might be able to offer distance education courses to students via partnerships with other districts so that all students can have access to courses that suit them. This certainly fits the bill in terms of connectivism. Maybe at some point schools everywhere will offer a shared curriculum that is open to all others. That is likely too wide a proposal at this point, but in terms of a connected Web and connected curriculum, schools and districts alike could be considered part of the educational whole when combined with others of the same. Course shopping might become more global and offer more to students while the locale becomes transparent. I am hopeful that more virtual schools will materialize for the benefit of students everywhere.
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.
I know in SC we need to use distance education to address shortages, particularly at the high school level, and we have been woefully slow to do so.
In the last year or so SC started the first state wide "virtual high school". Its conception was to help meet NCLB by providing a means of expanding opportunities for high school students. Instead, so far, it has been a tool for remediation. The course offerings have been limited to recreations of required courses as a means of remediation or course recovery.
ere, we need to embrace distance learning as a means of enriching high school, especially for districts traditionally low funded, if we ever expect to increase high school graduation rates. In many districts across our state, our graduation rate is less than 50%. Enriching curriculum by increasing course offerings through distance education is one means of getting students students interested, and increasing motivation. It could also be a means to allow students to access courses in larger districts.
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