Mike's Mind Map

Personal Perspective on Distant Learning

 

"A Personal Perspective on Distant Learning"

By:  Mike Noyes

PRE-COURSE NOTION OF DISTANT LEARNING

     Before commencing my online studies at Walden University, I really did not know what to expect concerning  this particular type of learning modality.  I surmised that the learning experience would obviously evolve around the computer and the world wide web.  Drawing from my perspective dating back to the 1990's when I  earned my  graduate degree in Adult Education,  traditional brick and mortar seemed the most prevalent source at that time.  Like many before me I felt apprehensive and extremely unsure about making the huge investment in time and money to further my collegiate education online without knowing what the outcome might look like.   


     As as past Associate Director of Admissions for a major online university, I preached the benefits of distant learning to my team, and for that matter, to hundreds of students.  The ironic thing about it was I never lived or experienced it myself.  Oddly enough it’s akin to having a counselor who’s never had a problem with alcohol trying to relate to an alcoholic.  Not to take away from those professional "non-alcoholic" counselors out there that are effective at what they do.  However,  being able to walk in the students' shoes to relate and transpose the true meaning and impact on how distance learning can help change the direction in their life is what it should have been all about.  Now, I can confidently internalize to future students what exciting things they can expect.

 

DISTANT LEARNING DEFINED

     There are multiple definitions and meanings when we synonymously mention the words “Distant Education” and “Online Learning”.  A small sampling of descriptions include:

 “Distance learning is an educational process in which a significant proportion of the teaching is conducted by someone removed in space and/or time from the learner”.  

(Perraton. H., 1988) 

“An institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunication systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructor.”  (Simonson, M., Smaldino, S. Albright, M., & Zvacek, S., 2012)

   Simonson, et. all, in the above description tends to be a bit more explicit in purposely stressing that the learning source should be formal and come from higher educational institutions.   I believe the reason why he makes this distinction of disassociating all others is because he traditionally worries about diluting the culture of online learning.

PERSONAL DEFINITION 

      After  extensive study and reflection this past week, I have crafted what I believe to be a more comprehensive definition of Distant Learning.  As we trek deeper into our studies, I look forward to revisiting my description below to see how it has evolved.  My personal of definition of distant learning being:

“An exciting contemporary web-based collection of collaborative educational vehicles that promote flexible asynchronous learning opportunities to maximize one’s true life potential.”  

     One of the exciting aspects of digging through course materials and outside sources is finding the “Golden Nugget”.   One of the positive takeaways learned this week is that no matter how fancy, in depth, or who in fact owns the learning material, it’s only as good as what learners do with it.

    In my research I came across an outside source that involved an educational forum that was hosted by Kurt Olson, a Professor of Law at the Massachusetts School of Law where he interviewed three leading innovators and authors in the field of educational delivery.   The video clip does an outstanding job in defining “distant learning” together with a host of other excellent key contemporary related issues.   Conversation topics included:

1.    What is the definition of “Distant Learning”

2.    Are online degrees real degrees?

3.    In what ways are online degrees different from one another and also different from traditional degrees?

4.    What demonstrable skill does the holder of an online degree posses?

5.    Are there safeguards in place to prevent students from enrolling in schools that are merely diploma mills

     At 8:03 minutes into the above video, Professor Klonoski describes online education as being "Web-based, instructor-led, and asynchronous.”  He further opined that, “The course objectives, assignments, readings, and objectives are similar to on ground based learning; however, the modality of instruction is different. The main difference in distance learning is that listening is mostly removed."  Professor Klonoski’s goes on to state that “with asynchronous courses there is no real easy way to deliver a lecture; that the courses are more project based, activities based, and involves online conferences.”  While I agree in part with Professor Klonoski’s later observation, I would respectfully disagree with his assertion that traditional lectures are easier than contemporary asynchronous lectures.  This gloomy supposition fails to responsibly share further comment and suggestion on what alternative educational vehicles are already in available that address what he refers to as "lack of listening".

   Another interesting "nugget" discovered in the video is a thing called "Open Courseware".  While not knew to some, I found the discussion very interesting.  M.I.T. has gone to open courseware which in reality democratizes and shares information openly.  Open courseware is in essence digital publication and not a distance learning course.  Benefits include gaining access to excellent literature and courses.  Some critiques are concerned with the intellectual rights of this open courseware.  The expert panel addressed this eloquently by stating, "information itself is not what's valuable but rather it's what happens between learners and the materials."

VISION AND FUTURE THOUGHTS OF DISTANT LEARNING  

     In my opinion, one of the most difficult paradigm shifts students have to consider today when it comes to contemporary distant learning is keeping up with the technology and software.  As instructors and ID professionals the challenge is even more daunting because the implications are fare more reaching.  By in large, the biggest challenge I see professionals having is we simply are not IT orientated creatures.  Looking into the future I see my biggest challenge to be "time" and "learning new technology".  With online distant educational platforms like Walden and a buffet of other cloud-based resources, the time element plays a major consideration for the working adult.  Our challenge today is making that investment in time to learn new technology in order to get current.   Professionals who are in positions to carve out time to achieve the latter will experience extra success.  However, in order to accomplish the latter, it does take time and lots of it.  The paradoxical question that begs to be answered, "Is it not one of the reasons why many of us choose distance learning as our primary learning modality in the first place?  It really got me thinking...

 References:

“Educational Forum” hosted by Kurt Olson, a Professor of Law at the Massachusetts         School of Law

Perraton, H. (1988).  A theory for distance education.  In D. Seward, D. Keegan, & B.       Holmberg (Eds.), Distant education:  International perspectives (pp. 34-45). New  York: Routledge.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and 

learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.)

Boston, MA: Pearson.