Prior to this course, I had viewed distance education in a variety of ways. When I was in graduate school (the first time) I took a course through what was then known as the distance education program. For this institution, distance education was for the most part correspondence courses. Granted, at the time, there were no real online learning platforms available. However, the institution, since it had been running the program for quite some time before I took the course, stressed the individuality of learning and the flexibility of space and time (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015). In the event, the course consisted of audio tapes and several assessments that needed to be completed and then sent in to the institution to be graded. For many people, this type of experience was the first exposure to distance education, especially since this has been around in some form for 160 years (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015).
Also prior to this course, I have been working as an online course designer and have been a student for a year in this program. Both of these experiences have given me a greater insight into what is currently possible in distance education. As a designer, I have had the opportunity to participate in the ID process from the "back end," performing all of the analysis, design and development as courses are created. I have experienced first hand the need to vary the degree and kind of interactions and feedback based on learner needs and challenges (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008). As a student consumer, I have experienced how instructional strategies are deployed within a learning management system which has in turn informed my design decisions.
One other area that I have been wrestling with much as a designer and also a student is the area of understanding the learning population. Because of the nature of distance education (especially online education) I have some concerns that some students could be left behind due to the non-homogeneous nature of the learners (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008). As we went through our learning theory course at the beginning of the program, we analyzed many of the different styles that should inform our design but often we are limited by the technology being used (i.e. blackboard, moodle, etc). While most of these platforms are robust, the concern that some students are being left behind always lurks below the surface.
After, reading the resources for this week, I feel that I have come to know the rich history of distance education and see through it's evolution where we are today. Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek (2015) provided us with an excellent overview of some of the theories that relate to distance education and as a designer, I believe it behooves me to at least have a cursory knowledge of each of this. For example, Fordist theory generally adheres to the philosophy that involves mass production of learning materials for mass consumption (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015). While this theory certainly has some attraction, especially to Dean's and others with an eye on the bottom line, it certainly limits the ability of designers to create meaningful learning experiences for students of diverse learning styles. After reading through the resources, I believe an ideal position for me as a designer would be one that incorporates some elements of all of the theories and is flexible based on the situation regarding the development.
As for the future of distance education, I believe that as designers we are living in an exciting and innovative time. Already, there are so many resources available to assist in instructional design that didn't exist 10 or 15 years ago. For example, where in the past many instructors would have had to settle for a basic narrated Powerpoint as a lecture, we can now film, edit and publish videos to the web with high definition picture and sound. Additionally, there are more opportunities for synchronous online learning than there were previously (collaborate in Blackboard is one basic example) and I believe these tools will continue to improve in quality and ease of use so that even novice designers can get quickly up to speed with designing effective and quality activities. Virtual reality is yet another tool that I believe we will see come into play in the education field. While much of VR technology right now is limited to gaming (the Oculus Rift system comes to mind) the potential for using VR technologies to deliver all manner of education is exciting to consider. Think of teaching a medical course via distance education using VR technologies. Indeed, as a designer, it is an exciting time to be part of the field.
References
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W.R., & Coleman, C. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for design on the potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(5), 63-67.
Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for design on the potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(4), 66-70.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
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