Distance Learning-Climbing to New Heights

Before I began this course, distance learning meant an opportunity to obtain more in higher education while working full-time and caring for two young children. Distance learning also meant learning online (24/7 access) with others, learning to develop strict time management skills, in order to create the best learning experience for everyone all over the world. Who would have ever thought I would be learning amongst people in other countries, but it is happening. Working in higher education also helps me to understand how popular distance learning is becoming based on the increasing numbers of registered students to online courses.

As we learned in our resources this week, “distance education is rapidly transforming post-secondary education and the driving force is economics and access” (Moller, Foshay, and Huett, J. 2008-pg. 66). I refer to myself as “today’s most popular, “new student called “the non-traditional” student. I am reaching for more education to advance professionally and add value to my resume and my current position. Each day my job duties change completely (based on new skills I am developing in my education) or increase based on technological advancements, environmental and personnel changes. 

“A principal motivator is the relatively unfamiliar force of competition” (Moller, Foshay, and Huett, 2008- pg. 66) within departments. In addition, it seems that “the lack of change” or “the desire to change” is crippling many departments at institutions in higher education. Employee resistance to change has been a problem at my current employment. Our software is upgrading quarterly, hardware is being replacing and procedures are improving. Many senior faculty and staff are being forced to retire or voluntarily retire because they did not want to accept the change or did not expect the competition that arose with change. 

“Educators in the distance medium are faced with new pedagogical issues surrounding student interactions, course content design and delivery, multiple levels of communication, defining new types of assignments and performance expectations, and different assessment and evaluation techniques”(Moller, Foshay, and Huett, 2008- pg. 67). This brings me to a revised definition of distance learning which states: distance learning is using electronic delivery that requires the student and educator to be able to operate an electronic devise in order to be a participant in the online environment. I would also require faculty and staff have a recurrent training with an Instructional designer that gives them ideas and/or instructions to a web 2.0 or any electronic tool used to build assignments, assessments and evaluations. The recurrent training could translate into continuing education credits which would make one more competitive when the next opportunity arises for a promotion.

 As distance learning continues on a path of evolution and change, it will need faculty teaching online courses that are technologically able to create their own material and organize the assignments. Employees must challenge themselves to change with time and technology. Institutions must make email and social media the official mode of communication such as Skype, YouTube and Facebook. It’s time for people to aim higher and climb that mountain along with the evolution of technology and distance learning.

 
Click here to visualize climbing to new heights with distance learning


Reference

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