Foundations of Distance Learning
This may seem funny but I really never gave any thought to distance learning as I never found the need to nor was in any situation where I had to. I have always, through grammar, high school and college been taught by a live instructor in a class room setting. The only technological device or tool was a power point presentation on a overhead projector. Forty years later I decide to go back to school and obtain a masters degree with Walden University. This was my first experience with distance learning. My first online class was just 1 year ago and I can say that It has been an unforgettable experience. I was able to go to school full time, take care of my family and work full time. It has been challenging however as an adult I have a vision of what and where I want to be. Besides being introduced to online school the organization that I work for also introduced me to distance learning by their mandatory quarterly training modules given by an instructor via webinar. This too was a first experience for me and I was immediately drawn to the idea of being a trainer/instructional designer.
I strongly believe though, that all distance learning cannot be performed by boring slide shows and monotone instructional video, multimedia needs to play a strong role. Multimedia is one major aspect of instructional design and a necessity to great online education. You need text, you need video, animation, and audio to get students or employees motivated to learn and grasp what is being taught. Distance education has definitely evolved over the many years. According to Dr. Simonson distance education has evolved and continues to from the beginning of the creation of the world-wide-web. The four authors of the book, Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education writes, "Certainly, the concept of distance education is exciting, and recent hardware and software innovations are making telecommunications distance education systems more available, easier to use, and less costly. Distance education has begun to enter the mainstream" (Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek, S., 2009).
I truly believe, after reading the many resources, both assigned and researched, that distance learning along with a creative instruction through multimedia can be effective for great learning. Utilizing multimedia in distance education can make learning come alive so as to gain interest and connect with the learner. Distance learning should be fun and creative. It should motivate students. Incorporating multimedia into distance education regularly can assure retention in learning. According to MacArthur Foundation “Digital media are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life”(MacArthur Foundation).
References:
MacArthur Foundation. Exploring Digital Media and Learning. 2011. Retrieved on 6/24/11 from: http://www.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7BB0386CE3-8B29-4162-8098
Simonson, M. (n.d.). “Distance Education: The Next Generation.” Retrieved September 6, 2011 fromhttp://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5693697&Survey=1&47=7555398&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th Ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
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