As we look into our society
today, access to education has grown exponentially. According to the
Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), in the United
States, fewer than 10 states were promoting distance education in 1987 (2001). A
year later, that number had grown to two-thirds of the states, and by 1989
virtually all states were involved in distance learning programs (aect.org). Advancement in technology allowed us to do that and
had given everyone, with Internet access, the ability to attain a higher
education. Distance education grew out of the need to meet the educational
needs of those who could not be in the same place and time with the teacher
(Naidu, 2014). Its aim was to release educational practice from the confines of
the four walls of the classroom and make it accessible to anyone who wanted
and/or needed it, and not just those who could afford the time and money
(Naidu, 2014).
As popular as distance
education might seem nowadays, there are still students who would prefer the
face-to-face interaction and the ambience of brick-and-mortar universities. We
often wonder why this is so, considering the convenience of taking classes
without time and location constraints. According to Tichavsky, Hunt, Driscolland Jicha (2015), online classes present unique challenges for effective
communication since we cannot replicate the interaction that occurs in many
traditional classrooms. I think that some students today still prefer the
immediate feedback from instructors when they are able to directly ask
questions and immediately seek to clarify information.
If I look forward 5-10 years
from now and ask myself how students will perceive online education then, I do
think that students will continue to embrace the idea of taking online courses.
Online communication is going to get better because technology continuously
evolves. I believe that there is going to be an increase in student enrollment
for distance education programs. Through the advancement of technologies
specifically in multimedia, games and simulations, more traditional
campus-based organizations are going to implement distance education programs
in order to adapt to higher education demands. As George Siemens states that
the growing acceptance of distance education is fueled by:
1.
An increase in
online communication
2.
Practical
experience with new tools
3.
Growing comfort
with online discourse
4.
Ability to
communicate with diverse and global groups
Another thought on the
future of distance education is the idea of using more of Virtual Reality (VR)
in online classrooms. VR is a newer technology, which is currently expensive
but 5-10 years from now, this technology may become affordable. Medical
students wearing a virtual-reality visor and data suit could perform any
operation on a computer-generated patient and actually see the results of what
they are doing (aect.org). Also, through Internet access and increasing
advancement in telecommunications and technology, other countries will not be
constrained in accessing education around the world. The spread of the Internet
will enhance global connectivity, fostering more positive relationships among
societies (pbs.org).
However, as Internet
connectivity in a global standpoint continues to increase, I also believe that
there are still those who will have negative opinions about online education,
perhaps with regards to quality, or doubts on the effectiveness of using
simulations, multimedia and games as an educational tool. As an Instructional Designer,
(ID) our role is focused on creating a positive learning experience for our
distance education learners by understanding their needs. We promote a positive
perception of distance learning when the instructional tools we decide to use
in our design is user-friendly, works with the educational platform, is affordable
for the students and has minimal functional inefficiencies. It will be
frustrating for a student to access a learning tool that won’t work. Students
have to be comfortable with the learning environment in order to have a
positive experience (Siemens, n.d.). If the program requires collaborative
group learning activities, the technology should support those activities, and
students should be provided with instructions in the collaborative technology
so that they can participate effectively (aacsb.edu). Another role that
instructional designers need to remember is to find ways to continuously
improve and this can be achieved using program evaluations. To create an
evaluation plan that determines the success of a distance-delivered course or
program, ID’s need to define the meaning of success in a program
(educause.edu). Does success mean increase enrollments, outstanding learner
performance or increase in job potential of graduates? (educause.edu).
Identifying and answering these questions will help instructional designers
find opportunities to improve in designing distance education programs.
As I end this post, I leave
you with this info-graphic from mymood.altervista.org. Even with the skeptics of distance education,
online programs are here to stay.
Technology will continue to evolve and instructional designers have to
be the promoter and positive influencer for the learners.
References:
AECT (2001). History of distance education. Retrieved
from https://www.aect.org/edtech/ed1/13/13-02.html
Naidu, S. (2014). Looking back, looking forward: the
invention and reinvention of distance education. Distance Education, 35(3), 263-270. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Tichavsky, L.P., Hunt, A.N., Driscoll, A., Jicha, K
(2015). Its just nice having a real teacher; Student perceptions of online
versus face-to-face instruction. International Journal for the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning: 9(22), Article 2. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2015.090202
PBS (2014). 15 Predictions for the future of the
Internet. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/15-predictions-future-internet
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). The future of
distance education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
AACSB International (2007). Quality issues in distance
learning. Retrieved from http://www.aacsb.edu/-/media/aacsb/publications/white-papers/wp-quality-issues-in-distance-edu.ashx?la=en
Lockee. B., Moore, M., Burton, J. (2002). Measuring
success: Evaluation strategies for distance education. Retrieved from https://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0213.pdf
MYMOOD (n.d.). The future of elearning [image].
Retrieved from http://mymood.altervista.org/learning/images/stories/the%20future%20of%20elearninginfo.jpg
