The question seems to be, "What is Distance Learning?" If you were to ask me before I enrolled in an online course (which this is my first one) I probably would have responded, it's learning material over the Internet regardless of time and space. Well, that is obviously over simplified. If your grandchild called you and said she learned about the Ancient Mayans on Wikipedia, would you tell her, "I'm so proud of your distant learning!" Probably not...
Ok, so what is meant by "learning material" and the "Internet" probably need to be more defined. I still agree that time and space is a big part of what it means to be a distant learner. I am typing this at 3:30 p.m. Central time in my living room located in Fort Worth, TX. You may be reading this right now at 5 p.m., 7 p.m., or even the next day from your own living rooms, cause face it, if you were in my living room I'm sure we would all be a little creeped out. After reading the resources from this week, it does define that material being taught is coming from an indiviudal authorized to teach it. So... there's one thing I missed. In addition, even though I always thought of distance learning through the Internet, we read that distance learning was also carried out by mail, telephone, and radio. Ok, so I was slightly off. Hey, it happens. More importantly, distance learning is an interaction.
So if I compiled what I read in my tired little brain and wanted to conclude a different way to explain distance learning, I would say, "Distance Learning is where a student receives instruction from an approved source and is delivered via electronic channel or by mail; where the student and teacher is seperated by time and space." Ok, I like that a little better then my oversimplified original adaptation of distance learning.
I'm convinced distance learning is just in the baby stages of where it's headed. It can be used for so many things. Who will take advantage of all it has to offer? It does not need to replace Traditional learning methods but we already see colleges harness both, offering traditional and online classes. When the violance in schools, will parents push for more distant learning classes? Individuals who want to teach others in a different country or people who become disabled... are definitely key individuals who may enjoy this new, growing way to learn.
On a personal note, as if this wasn't all personal, this is my very first online class and... (drum roll, please) I love it! I can sign in whereever and whenever; I think that is what really gets me. I can complete my work at my pace with my motivation. At a college, the teacher has to go the speed of the slowest student, right? Definitly not bragging, but I was probably one of the fastest to catch on. I was often bored in class or felt less motivated. Well distance learning gives me a chance to go my own pace. In addition, I really do not have the time to go to a regular classroom. I really wanted to go back to school without actually being back at school. Make sense? There are definitely some challenges I experienced along the way. My understanding of things are based on how I interept the reading material. I am a little bit of an audial learner so without a teacher projecting her voice at me, will I still get the same out of the class? Well, it's certainly worth it for me to find out.
What are your thoughts?
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