Distance Learning and Instructional Design

In the early years of distance learning courses my first course of study was a psychology course. In the course I used videos, course materials, and attend the college only to sit for exams on the materials. I can say I learned a great deal from the course but wish it had been an online course interactive opportunities and submitting of exams online. The early years of distance education for many educational institutions still contained the element of face-to-face for many years. The advent of the affordability and commonality of technology in society as offered new educational opportunities.


As my educational experiences progressed I continued to attend traditional education then chose to attend a technical college for my associate’s degree. The hands on learning environments combined with instructor led classes motivated me. In the past I was bored with traditional college it reminded me to much of high school and the rigor of you sit – I talk.

In the new hands on learning environments with open lab experiences for independent study I found my drive to succeed. The majority of my learning experiences were conducted in a traditional college computer lab with the instructor there simply to adding in facilitating the use of the new software. The Integrated Digital Image Communications degree was in its first year when I took the program and on the frontier of media education. The use of technology to educate was a new concept at the time, it was the first time I had seen computer lessons projected to the wall for whole class follow along tutorials. Participating in this degree and seeing all that was available and would be available in the future of education is what inspired me to later go back to school to become a special education instructor.

As a Special Education Instructor I use technology daily in my lessons. Though I am a traditional face-to-face instructor I firmly believe that not all students benefit from this form of education. The majority of State’s offer a free online K-12 curriculum to support learners who need more flexible educational opportunities. Struggling students, advanced learners, homebound, homeschooled, military, elite athletes, and performers all of these subgroups can benefit from a distance education k-12 program that is based on state expectations and employees qualified educational staff either full- time or to supplement traditional education.

The effectiveness of distance education has more to do with who is teaching, who is learning, and how that learning is accomplished and less to do with the medium. “The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to offer alternative schooling options to students attending schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress”(Huett,2008). Administrators and Teachers benefit by having the potentially greater contact with at risk students who are not normally communicative face-to-face. Parents benefit by being able to see all the tools for learning and review them on one setting.

“While synchronous courses offer real-time interaction with the teacher and, potentially, with peers, a course taught predominantly through asynchronous instruction may offer few opportunities for personal interaction” (Huett, 2008). Successful online learners have the characteristics of autonomy, metacognition, self-regulatory skills, positive self-efficacy, motivation, and internal locus of control. Many of these characteristics develop with age, raising the possibility that younger students may be less successful online learners than their older counterparts.

What are the implications for Instructional Designers? “Expecting teachers to be instructors, content experts, distance education instructional designers, and technology experts, in addition to their other responsibilities, is asking too much (Huett,2008)”. With technology now entering the educational system in full force and the growing interest in online courses a collaborative approach where instructional designer’s partner with teachers to create dynamic and engaging distance learning environments is necessary. Together they need to consider the critical elements for exemplary K-12 online learning: “the features and design of the course, the role of the teacher or facilitator, and the characteristics that successful online learners exhibit (Huett, 2008)”. School districts are going to have to recognize that ID professionals would bring a much needed awareness of sound distance education design to the process.

This is a “stand and deliver” time for instructional design, technology, and education. Professionals are finally getting their chance to see learning transformed by technology. Yet, time and resources are still the issue with neither being in unlimited supply. As current leaders advocate for the use of technology in education and training they need to put in place the funding to back the policy. As ID Professionals we need to remember that it not the theory that will save the day but the sound design and a commitment to understanding learner needs.

References:

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008A). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Distance education: the next generation [Multimedia]. Distance Learning. Retrieved on September 8, 2010 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4442081&Survey=1&47=6064455&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

http://v7.k12.com/sample_lessons/02-25-10/HS/Math/geometry-circumferences-areas/CLICK_TO_START.html