Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

Module 2 Blog:

George Siemens (2008) gives a compelling argument as to the growing acceptance of distance education in today’s corporate and educational spheres. I agree with his views, especially those as they relate to the communication aspect of distance education as well as its growth within the corporate arena.

Communication has evolved from telephone conferences to live video meetings through the use of Skype and other like technology software. Siemens (2008) explains that this has been fueled by “an increase in online communication and practical experiences with new tools”. He also states that “the concept of interaction of an online environment has changed” (Siemens, 2008), which is allowing individuals to become more comfortable with the ideas of distance communication.

The plethora of tools available to facilitate the growth of communication within the online environment can be overwhelming, as well as the affordability of these tools. Students have the availability of software such as Skype which is free to download and social networks such as: Facebook, MySpace, Friendster and LinkedIn which allow for information to be instantly sent to mobile devices and computers to remain connected. It has become abnormal for a cellular phone to not have a camera or a video option, as well as purchasing a camera to connect to your PC is beyond affordable.

As a whole, we as a society are beginning to understand that distance is no longer a factor and as people are overcoming the gap of discomfort in an online environment, and distance education is “becoming a preferred medium of learning” (Siemens, 2008).

References:

Laureate Education, Inc & Siemens, G. (2008). Principles of distance education. [Vodcast: The future of distance education]. Baltimore: Author.

The Next Generation of Distance Education

Module #1 Blog:

Moller, Wellesley & Huett state perfectly that, “The growth of online distance learning (e-learning) is explosive in almost all sectors” (2008, p. 66), as to why there is a need to evolve distance education to the next generation. The use of distance education has expanded from the corporate world of training, evolving into the realm of higher education and opening doors within the fields of K-12 education. The need for distance education has become that of financial stability, educational diffusion and meeting educational mandates, to name a few. Within corporate training, distance education “offsets the costs of travel to training centers, provides timely and on-demand learning access, and employees or customers can use it immediately” (Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008, p. 70). The higher education arena has opened the doors to distance education to meet the demands of the “non-traditional” student (Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008, p. 66) and remain competitive with one another. Lastly, K-12 education has began leaning toward the use of distance education to meet mandates such as No Child Left Behind which “requires states to offer alternative schooling options to students attending schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress” and filling the gap of teacher shortages (Huett, Moller, & Foshay, 2008, p. 63). I agree that a need to move distance education to the next generation is needed to ensure that technology is more than just a tool but becomes a mean of effectiveness and produces satisfactory outcomes. Throughout the reading of the articles one theme rang true, “to assure that the products of sound professional design practice lead the e-learning enterprise” (Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008, p. 66).

References:

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 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.

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.

Introduction

Hello everyone,

   My name is Taryn Hailstock and I am currently a student with Walden University. I am pursing my Educational Specialist degree focusing in Educational Technology. The information and discussions provided in this blog will be related to Educational Technology and various topics presented during my matriculation through the program I am enrolled in with Walden.

   Please feel free to provide your educated opinion related to the topics presented, provided a worth-while learning environment for those wanting to become effective contributors to the world of education and technology.



Thank you,


Taryn Hailstock
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