Reflections: The Future of Distance Learning

What do you think the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future (in 5–10 years; 10–20 years)?

The perceptions about distance learning are changing every day. According to Schmidt & Gallegos (2001), stereotypical criticism of online programs include: a lack of accountability in student feedback, academic integrity, technical issues, and instructor inexperience. Detractors of online programs lament the loss of face to face interaction, brick and mortar institutions and the social nature of learning. As a result, they mockingly paint the picture of an isolated student clicking away and copying Wikipedia tm as the typical online student. Furthermore, many distance educators have made the mistake of trying to create identical learning experiences for all students (Simonson et al, 2012). This “one size fits all” approach has led many to believe that distance learning is a “cookie cutter” learning experience (Simonson et al, 2012).  

Yet as technology advances, the ever-presence of online platforms is changing the way in which we view online interaction (Laureate education, 2013). First, the advent of social media tools is changing the way we communicate with one another (Laureate Education, 2013). The rise of asynchronous dialogue in programs like Facebook TM  have changed our comfort level with messaging and posts. This has opened the doors for an endless supply of blog and wiki creation tools such as Edmodo tm  and Glogster tm to create thread based discussion boards  and online posters for kids. In addition, we find textbook companies investing heavily in their online resource toolkits in order to maximize parent-teacher collaboration and communication. More and more online resources are available every day, leaving an endless supply of books articles and more for kids. As a result, distance learning becomes, as Perraton explains, the opportunity to reach audiences and provide access to resources that would not be reached in typical classrooms (Simonson et al, 2012). 

Within the next 5 – 10 years, we will find teachers have effectively flipped classrooms. Flipping a class occurs when teachers design instruction to be delivered at home through interactive, teacher-created videos and activities (Techsmith, 2013). This homework becomes the primary reading and concept researching time. Instead, classrooms become more like learning laboratories – opportunities for interventions, conferencing, differentiation and higher level collaboration (Techsmith, 2013). 

 At the same time, the rise in synchronous tools such as Skype allow for high quality video interactions that eliminate boundaries as if we are in the same room (Laureate Education, 2013). For example, according to Siemens, the steady improvements in devices has led to a corresponding growth in online familiarity (Laureate Education, 2013). For example, my 9 year old daughter is using Facetime tm on a mobile device to stay connected with friends and family all over the country. This same technology can lead to meaningful academic relationships with students throughout the world. Such an institutional shift however will require the infrastructure to continue to advance. While we see glimpses of these paradigms right now, schools still lack common standards, sufficient technology and wireless networking / streaming capacity to completely transform the local school into an international institution. However, over the next 20 years, we can anticipate the teaching profession to become highly specialized, global and completely customizable as this digital divide shrinks. In this new world teachers are engaging students in interactive collaborations and projects regardless of their home on the planet. 

How can you as an instructional designer be a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning?

Overcoming the misperceptions of online learning requires pressing forward with the advancement of online curriculum that is highly rigorous and authentic in nature. In the surveys I conducted this week, my participants all had taken online courses and agreed that their courses were more demanding in terms of time and content. These students are a part of an ever-growing population of 21st Century learners whose stories need to be shared.  Siemens declared that the future of learning rests with triple helix – universities, businesses and government (Laureate education, 2013). As designers, we can present at conferences, to government agencies, school boards, corporations and other stakeholders to help overcome the misconceptions about online learning and demonstrate how the future of our society must embrace technology as the driving force of college and career readiness.

Second, by developing online resources that are easily accessible and user friendly, detractors can see how the role of technology can advance learning in ways that traditional models simply can’t. A major factor in his effort is demonstrating Return on Investment (ROI). Online training programs are easily reproduced and disseminated. As a result, these programs “save time and money, educate employees to increase productivity, nurture and educate students, clients and create training sales and revenue (Gototraining, 2011).” In this current economic time, budgetary constraints are commonplace. One of the challenges to address is the “Person-power” involved in designing trainings (Gototraining, 2011). However, according to Gototraining.com (2011), the amount of time spent on planning, participating and developing materials either online or for face to face is virtually identical (3.3 days vs. 3.4 respectively). This means that online training tools, with their portability, standardization, and ability for review demonstrate a far greater ROI (Gototraining, 2011). The more companies and schools recognize this, the more likely we are to continue to see the shift to a growing online application- based training industry. 

How will you be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education?

One of the ways I can be a positive force in the field of distance learning is to “walk the talk.” Human beings need to become life-long learners. In this course, I have learned about many different online tools such as Voice Thread TM, LaMochatm , Canvas LMS and more. As I became more familiar with these tools, I can expand my repertoire of skills. This is important in order to stay current in my techniques as a designer, but it also sends a message to my learners: “If I am advancing my knowledge, so can you.”

At the same time, it is important to keep the skills I already possess fresh. For example, MOOCS are available at no cost for refresher courses in computer programs amongst other things. This can ensure I have the latest “Tips and Tricks,” and can develop the highest quality lessons possible. 

Last, I need to recognize that as a designer, I am an ambassador for a cutting edge field. My quality of work and integration of new ideas allows for continuous improvement by the field as a whole. In addition, the dissemination of my new ideas is vital to the growth of the industry. By collaborating with others and sharing what I know, I can be sure that I am up to date and that I continue to push the field forward. 

References

Gototraining.com (2011). The ROI of online training: how organizations are moving online. 
Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/GoToTraining/the-roi-of-online-training-how-orgs-are-moving-online

Laureate Education (2013). The Future of Distance education [webcast]. Retrieved from 
https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2818555_1%26url%3D

Schmidt, E., & Gallegos, A. (2001). Distance learning: Issues and concerns of distance learners. 
Journal of Industrial Technology, 17(3). Retrieved from http://atmae.org/jit/Articles/schmidt041801.pdf

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a 
distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Techsmith.com (2013). Teachers Use Technology to Flip Their Classrooms. Retrieved from 
http://www.techsmith.com/flipped-classroom.html

 

Guide Book: Moving Towards Hybrid Learning

There are many considerations when designing blended online learning experiences. By recognizing being online is more than just posting or “filler,” designers can create meaningful, thoughtful, insightful, interactive experiences. By considering how to incorporate new teacher roles, student perspective, multimedia, learning theories, and authentic experiences, instructors can feel confident they will have tools that facilitate discussion and learning. These experiences can transform the way instructors and participants view professional development and help companies train their staff to reach new heights.

Click the image below to find my Prezi Guidebook for Transitioning from Face To Face to Hybrid Learning

The Impact of Open Source

Exploring An Open Source Online Course: 

Freeman, J. (2011). YaleCourses: Outraged Colonials: 

The Stamp Act Crisis. 

Click the image below to link to the course site:

The course I visited was one part of a 25 part series on the American Revolution. This course was conducted by Dr. Joanne B Freeman. According to Baxterwood (2007), Dr. Freeman has been at Yale University since 1997. She has served as public historian at many institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress (Baxterwood, 2007). She has written several books, including Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic, which earned the 2002 Best Book of the Year honors from the Society of Historians of the Early American Republic (Baxterwood, 2007). 

As a lecturer, Dr. Freeman does a wonderful job illuminating her topic. She provides an overview of her agenda and highlights the important prior learning we will need for class. She links facts with her insights, establishing each point of her lecture with pointed details and perspectives. Her narrative style is engaging. She provides a thorough storytelling of the events, and then explains why certain aspects of the “Crisis” had major implications on life in the colonies that we as learners may not have deemed significant. For example, she highlights Benjamin Franklin’s frustrations over the failure of the “Albany Plan of Union” – the first and most detailed attempt to create a unified colonial government before the Continental Congress (Freeman, 2011). She also provides insights that refute conventional wisdom. For example, she provides evidence  that the Parliament used the Stamp Act to tax the colonists in lieu of the British (Freeman, 2011). To do so, she provides Parliament’s logic, rationale, and anticipation of the colonial perspective and response to events such as supporting the soldiers in the colonies, efforts to end smuggling, the American Revenue Act (Sugar Act), currency and more (Freeman, 2011).  

As someone who will most likely never attend Yale University due to financial constraints amongst other things, I truly appreciate the efforts being made by of the most prestigious institutions to share its courses with the world. Such efforts need to be viewed as highly generous, and I wholeheartedly appreciate the opportunity to “sit in.”

That being said, the course does not appear to be carefully pre-planned and designed for a distance learning environment. One of the challenges of transitioning to an open online platform is to avoid the temptation to “Dump” a face to face course onto the web (Simonson et al, 2012). This practice of “shovelware” has a limited focus on the idea of online learning – it only focuses on placing content online (Simonson et al, 2012).  As a result, the lecture is a “re-run” – an opportunity to view a previous event - nothing more. Certainly I learned a great deal about the topic and could use this information for my own research and intellectual endeavors. However, as a visitor, I did not have the ability to interact with other asynchronous visitors, share ideas or insights, or otherwise participate in a meaningful way. Therefore, the question becomes, since I am not enrolled and have no formal assessments, what does Yale expect me to really learn from this experience? If it is simply designed for sharing knowledge, is this really a course, or is it just a video?

Dr. Freemen’s course reflects the instructor based model. The purpose is to disseminate information via lecture to a passive audience. The structure of the course is time limited and focuses on “a Congress Bookend Lecture.” As a result, the teacher based instructional model leaves learners listening and talking notes, sponging as much information as possible for “regurgitation” at a later time (Simonson et al, 2012). Clearly, there is an online advantage here, for I could pause the lecture and take notes, getting the actual quote of “in such esteem (a colonial union), the just prerogative of the crown must be preserved or it will not be approved and confirmed in England and the just liberties of the people must be secured or the several colonies will disapprove (Freeman, 2011).” Regardless, one cannot help but feel both overwhelmed by the speed by which the information flows in real time.

As a result, Dr. Freeman’s course did not represent the recommendations of our course textbook: Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education by Simonson et al (2012). According to the authors, effective online courses focus on student centered learning as opposed to instructor driven lecture (Simonson et al, 2012). These courses focusing on opportunities for learners to discover on their own and explore content more deeply (Simonson et al, 2012). Unlike in instructor led models, instructors in student driven models focus on learner needs and desires (Simonson et al, 2012). By giving students the chance to focus on knowledge production, students become engaged on a more meaningful level.

Therefore, effective designers think about what the learner will be doing, not what the instructor is saying. Active learning is a process by which the learner takes control of the instructional pathway (Simonson et al, 2012). Designers should be looking at how learners will learn from the course, and how the instructor will aim to bring this knowledge to life through interactions (Simonson et al, 2012). In asynchronous experiences, this often involves the use of web 2.0 tools to collaborate and develop content mastery using constructivist methodologies (Simonson et al, 2012). Certainly having a well-learned scholar at the helm provides for a far deeper and more enriching content. However, instead of having a “Sage on the Stage,” learners in online environments need to become developers of knowledge through participation in activities (Simonson et al, 2012). If there is nothing to do with the material once they have it, the students simply sit back. Therefore, by simply posting a video online without interactive opportunities, the learner shifts in motivation and focus and the lecture becomes stale. This limits the value of the online experience. 

In the case of this course, not only is it passive in nature, but the entire video is simply Dr. Freeman talking behind a podium. She talks about wanting to “live history,” and how her experience with the “Stamp man” gave her own “colonial moment (Freeman, 2011)” But there are no opportunities for her students to do the same. There are no visual aids or learning tools such as PowerPoint slides, pictures or artifacts we can explore. She reads a firsthand account of the event of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” but we can’t see it or read it for ourselves. There are also no activities that put us “in the colonist’s shoes.” Instead, we watch her talk and read. This lack of engagement takes away from her lecture and diminishes the overall experience. Had there been post-production work, the lecture could have been embedded with images or web links or assignments that would allow us to consider the content in a deeper way. For example, using a different format than simply a video post on You Tube, such as a Voice thread, would allow for visitors to comment and engage in the learning process. This would enable commentary from viewers of varying backgrounds to provide their insights. Such an experience would make the lecture transformative in nature – providing the professor’s lecture with the opportunity to take advantage of a 21st century dynamic learning environment. Instead, like the colonists, we as asynchronous learners have “virtual representation,” in the lecture hall (Freeman, 2011).

References

Baxterwood. (2011). Yale University, Hist 116 The 

American Revolution, Professor Joanne B Freeman. 

Retrieved from:     

http://baxterwood.blogspot.com/2011/07/yale-university-

Hist-116-american.html

Freeman, J. (2011). YaleCourses: Outraged Colonials: 

The Stamp Act Crisis. Retrieved from:   

http://www.youtube.com/watch=sbwOop46Dag&list=ECD

A2BC5E785D495AB&index=5

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. 

(2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations

of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson