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Is Distance Education
Beneficial or a Hindrance? |
Introduction |
| Within an environment of rapid technological change and changing market conditions, the American education system is challenged with providing increased educational opportunities without increased budgets. Many educational institutions are answering this challenge by developing distance education programs. In this paper I will discuss the history of distance education. It will then in detail, explain the differences in Distance Teaching and how it is delivered. Everything that will be discussed in this paper will demonstrate how distance learning can be beneficial. |
Distance Education www.pvamu.edu/itdept/online.html |
At its most basic level, distance education takes place when a teacher and student(s) are separated by physical distance. Technology, often in concert with face-to-face communication, is used to bridge the instructional gap. These types of programs can provide adults with a second chance at a college education, reach those disadvantages by limited time, distance or physical disability, and update the knowledge base of workers at their places of employment. |
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History |
| We find a rich history as each form of instructional media evolved, to
instructional television, to current interactive technologies. The earliest
form of distance learning took place through correspondence courses in Europe.
This was accepted norm until the middle of this century, when instructional
radio and television became popular. According to Margaret Cambre (1991), in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, television production technology was largely confined to studios and live broadcasts, in which master teachers conducted widely broadcast classes. Unfortunately, teachers who were experts in the subject matter not necessarily the best and most captivating television talent, nor was the dull “talking head” medium the best production method for holding the interest of the audience. In the early 1970’s, the emphasis turned from bringing masters teachers into the classroom to taking children out of the classroom into the outside world. This had the negative effect or relegating television to the position of enrichment, which was not perceived as really related to schoolwork. This trend was reversed later in the 1970’s, as professionally designed and produced television series introduced students to new subject matter that was not being currently taught, yet was considered to be an important complement to the classroom circulation. The major drawback of radio and broadcast television for instruction was the lack of a two-way communication channel between teacher and student. Today, political and public interest in distance education is especially high in areas where the student population is widely disturbed. Each region has developed its own form of distance education in accordance with local resources, target audience, and philosophy of the organizations which provide the instruction. Many institutions, both public and private, offer university courses for self-motivated individuals through independent study programs. Students work on their own, with supplied course materials, print-based media and postal communication, some form of teleconferencing and/or electronic networking, and learner support from tutors and mentors via telephone or email. The Office of Technology Assessment finds that,”... teachers have to be allowed to choose, willing to make choices, and qualified to implement their choices effectively. OTA finds that just as there is no one best use of technology, there is no way best way of teaching with technology. Flexibility should be encouraged, allowing teachers to develop their personal teaching approach utilizing the variety of options offered by technology.” |
Effectiveness of Distance Education |
| Many educators ask if distant students learn as much as students receiving
traditional face-to-face instruction. Research comparing distance education
to traditional face-to-face instruction indicates that teaching and studying
at a distance can be as effective as a traditional instruction. Effectiveness
is the preference of the student for a particular mode of learning, i.e.,
cooperative, competitive, or individualized (Johnson & Johnson, 1974).
Many current distance education projects incorporate cooperative learning,
collaborative projects, and interactivity within groups of students as well
s between sites. Scardamalia and Bereiter’s (1994) CSILE Project relies on distribution of knowledge among students. Knowledge-building is accomplished through student-initiated interactions and reflections, in real-time in class, and delayed-time using an electronic bulletin board systems (BBS). Pea’s (1994) distributed multimedia learning and constructive viewpoints, to enable students to construct and transform knowledge through progressive discourse. Without exception, effective distance education programs begin with careful planning and a focused understanding of course requirements and student needs. Appropriate technology can only be selected once these elements are understood in detail. Successful distance education programs rely on the consistent and integrated efforts of student, faculty, facilitators, support staff, and administrators. Wide ranges of technological options are available to the distance educator. They fall into four major categories; voice, video, data, and print. |
CONCLUSION |
| In conclusion, I have spoken briefly about several aspects of distance education. I have also spoken on its history and its effectiveness. Teaching and learning at a distance is demanding. However, learning will be more meaningful and “deeper” for distant students, if the students and their instructor share responsibility for developing learning goals and objectives; actively interacting with class members; promoting reflection on experience; relating new information to examples that make sense to learners: maintaining self-esteem: and evaluating what is being learned. This information proves to me that distance learning can be beneficial |
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