The Future of Distance Education

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