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
