Learning About Distance Learning

As an educator, I am constantly seeking opportunities to learn and grow professionally. I have often dreamed of obtaining a master’s degree, and while my geographical location allows me to seek educational opportunities at several high quality institutions, I had only considered each of the them briefly as the fearing of having time to be successful was always at the forefront of my mind. Being a music educator for grades Kindergarten through Sixth grade is very demanding, as the day often does not end at 3:30 PM when the bell rings. It consists of evening performances, weekend commitments, and often afterschool workshops and in-services; many things that would have hindered my ability to regularly attend classes and complete coursework. It seemed that a master’s degree would have to wait.

When someone first suggested attending classes through “distance learning,” the image that came to my mind is one using video-conferencing tools to telecast an instructional session to learners who were simultaneously streaming the live broadcast in their own homes. I explored the concept more, and as information from various online institutions flooded my inbox, I decided to pursue information from some of them. Truthfully, the concept of attending class via a video screen entertained me, especially if I could do so while sitting in my pajamas before bed, if I timed everything right. After careful consideration, I decided to become a distance learning student at Walden University.  

The first eye-opening surprise of distance learning came when I received a phone call, not an email, from an admissions counselor. When I chose an institution for undergrad, one of the things that I sought was a small learning community where I was treated less than as a number, but more that I was a person. The phone calls from the admissions counselor reminded me of that experience, and soon I was enrolled in a program. As I began my orientation course through Walden, I realized distance learning was much more than what I have always envisioned it to be. While my vision is sometimes correct, I have also learned this image is only a small piece of the overall distance learning picture. Distance learning is institution-based, formal education that focuses on learner to learner relationships, learner to instructor relationships, and learner to content relationships through the use of interactive telecommunications systems (Tracey and Richey, 2005; Simpson et al., 2012). It is access to libraries, academic support, and help desks through simple key strokes made on a computer. It is small discussion groups amongst peers, feedback from instructors, and the application and evaluation of newly acquired skills, while at the same time allowing for learners, who are separated by time and distance, to be flexible about when and where they learn.

I have learned that to be successful as a distance learner, intrinsic motivation is key, and motivation can be found everywhere! For example, many distance learning programs, by utilizing common web 2.0 tools such as wikis and social media, offer learners are not only an opportunity to interact with learners inside the classroom, but also with those learners outside of the classroom, through devices such as tablets, smartphones, and, of course, the traditional computer. As I have been allowed flexibility, I find myself more willing to participate in discussions, ask questions, and complete coursework because I never feel forced to succeed.

While I only am beginning to understand the impacts of distance learning, I can only wonder what tomorrow holds for this fascinating, evolving institution. While far from a new concept of education, as today’s distance learning stems from correspondence courses once offered via mail, this educational avenue will only continue to grow as technological tools increase. As an educator, these tools have the potential to help supplement classroom instruction to personalize learning for every student, while still experiencing a traditional learning environment, as these environments provide many other non-academic skills, such as socialization. As an instructional designer, I see these tools as ways to cost effectively create learning modules for clients that could be used worldwide. Distance learning, as we know it today, has the potential to be very different in terms of tools for the distance learners of tomorrow, but overall, its future will still be deeply rooted in its practices experienced by the learners of today.

REFERENCES:

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

Tracey, M. and Richey, R.  (2005).  The evolution of distance education.  Distance Learning, 2(6), 17-21.