Distance education

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This article is about education over a distance. For learning that is spaced over time, see Distributed learning.

Distance education or distance learning is a mode of delivering education and instruction, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional setting such as a classroom. Distance learning provides "access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance, or both."[1] Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason (including taking examinations) have been referred to as hybrid[2] or blended[3] courses of study.

Contents

History and development [edit]

Distance education dates back to at least as early as 1728 when an advertisement in the Boston Gazette promoted "Caleb Phillips, Teacher of the new method of Short Hand," who sought students who would learn through weekly mailed lessons.[4]

Similarly, Isaac Pitman taught shorthand in Great Britain via correspondence in the 1840s.[5]

Distance education has a long history, but its popularity and use has grown exponentially as more advanced technology has become available. As of 2008, online learning programs at the K-12 level were available in 44 states and several others were in the planning stages.[6]

Correspondence courses from universities [edit]

The University of London was the first university to offer distance learning degrees, establishing its External Programme in 1858. This program is now known as the University of London International Programmes and includes Postgraduate, Undergraduate and Diploma degrees created by colleges such as the London School of Economics, Royal Holloway and Goldsmiths.[7]

In the United States William Rainey Harper, first president of the University of Chicago, developed the concept of extended education, whereby the research university had satellite colleges of education in the wider community. In 1892 he also encouraged the concept of correspondence school courses to further promote education, an idea that was put into practice by Columbia University.[8][9]

Enrollment in the largest private for-profit school based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the International Correspondence Schools grew explosively in the 1890s. Originally founded in 1888 to provide training for immigrant coal miners aiming to become state mine inspectors or foremen, it enrolled 2500 new students in 1894 and matriculated 72,000 new students in 1895. By 1906 total enrollments reached 900,000. The growth was due to sending out complete textbooks instead of single lessons, and the use of 1200 aggressive in-person salesmen. By 1916 it was spending $2 million a year on magazine advertising.[10] The dropout rates were high; only one in six made it past the first third of the material in a course. Only 2.6% of students who began a course finished it. The students dropped out because they underestimated the difficulty, had little encouragement, and had poor study habits.[11] There was a stark contrast in pedagogy:

"The regular technical school or college aims to educate a man broadly; our aim, on the contrary, is to educate him only along some particular line. The college demands that a student shall have certain educational qualifications to enter it, and that all students study for approximately the same length of time, and when they have finished their courses they are supposed to be qualified to enter any one of a number of branches in some particular profession. We, on the contrary, are aiming to make our courses fit the particular needs of the student who takes them."[12]

Education was a high priority in the Progressive Era, as American high schools and colleges expanded greatly. For men too old or too tied down with family responsibilities, night schools were opened, such as the YMCA school in Boston that became Northeastern University. Outside the big cities, private correspondence schools offered a flexible, narrowly focused solution. In 1916 efficiency was enhanced by the formation of the National Association of Corporation Schools.[13]

Universities around the world used correspondence courses in the first half of the 20th century, especially to reach rural students. Australia with its vast distances was especially active; the University of Queensland established its Department of Correspondence Studies in 1911.[14] The International Conference for Correspondence Education held its first meeting in 1938.[15] The goal was to provide individualized education for students, at low cost, by using a pedagogy of testing, recording, classification, and differentiation.[16][17]

Radio and television [edit]

The very rapid spread of radio in the United States in the 1930s led to proposals to use it for distance education. By 1938, at least 200 city school systems, 25 state boards of education, and many colleges and universities broadcast educational programs for the public schools.[18] One line of thought was to use radio as a master teacher.

" Experts in given fields broadcast lessons for pupils within the many schoolrooms of the public school system, asking questions, suggesting readings, making assignments, and conducting test. This mechanize is education and leaves the local teacher only the tasks of preparing for the broadcast and keeping order in the classroom." [19]

A typical setup came in Kentucky in 1948 when John Wilkinson Taylor, president of the University of Louisville, teamed up with the National Broadcasting Corporation to use radio as a medium for distance education, The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission endorsed the project and predicted that the "college-by-radio" would put "American education 25 years ahead." The University was owned by the city, and local residents would pay the low tuition rates, receive their study materials in the mail, and listen by radio to live classroom discussions that were held on campus.[20]

Charles Wedemeyer of the University of Wisconsin–Madison also promoted new methods. From 1964 to 1968, the Carnegie Foundation funded Wedemeyer's Articulated Instructional Media Project (AIM) which brought in a variety of communications technologies aimed at providing learning to an off-campus population. According to Moore's recounting, AIM impressed the UK which imported these ideas when establishing in 1969 The Open University, which initially relied on radio and television broadcasts for much of its delivery.[21] Athabasca University, Canada's Open University, was created in 1970 and followed a similar, though independently developed, pattern.[22] The Open University inspired the creation of Spain's National University of Distance Education (1972)[23] and Germany's FernUniversität in Hagen (1974).[24] There are now many similar institutions around the world, often with the name "Open University" (in English or in the local language). All "open universities" use distance education technologies as delivery methodologies and some have grown to become 'mega-universities',[25] a term coined to denote institutions with more than 100,000 students. In 1976, Bernard Luskin launched Coastline Community College as a college beyond walls, combining computer assisted instruction with telecourses proceed by KOCE TV, the Coast Community College District public television station. Coastline has been a landmark strategic success in helping to establish online distance learning using modern technology for learning.

Internet [edit]

Main article: Virtual education

The widespread use of computers and the internet have made distance learning easier and faster, and today virtual schools and virtual universities deliver full curricula online.[26] In 1996 Jones International University was launched and claims to be the first fully online university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the US.[27]

Between 2000 and 2008, undergraduate enrollment in at least some distance programs became more and more common. The share of students "in at least one distance education class expanded from 8 percent to 20 percent, and the percentage enrolled in a distance education degree program increased from 2 percent to 4 percent."[28]

Many private, public, non-profit and for-profit institutions worldwide now offer distance education courses from the most basic instruction through the highest levels of degree and doctoral programs. Levels of accreditation vary: Widely respected universities such as Stanford University and Harvard now deliver online courses—but other online schools receive little outside oversight, and some are actually fraudulent, i.e., diploma mills. In the US, the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) specializes in the accreditation of distance education institutions.[29]

In the United States in 2011, it was found that a third of all the students enrolled in postsecondary education had taken an accredited online course in a postsecondary institution.[30] Even though growth rates are slow, enrollment for online courses has been seen to increase with the advance in technology. The majority of public and private colleges now offer full academic programs online.[30] These include, but are not limited to, training programs in the mental health,[31] occupational therapy,[32][33] family therapy,[34] art therapy,[35] physical therapy,[33] and rehabilitation counseling[36] fields.

Technologies [edit]

Although the expansion of the Internet blurs the boundaries, distance education technologies are divided into two modes of delivery: synchronous learning and asynchronous learning.

In synchronous learning, all participants are "present" at the same time. In this regard, it resembles traditional classroom teaching methods despite the participants being located remotely. It requires a timetable to be organized. Web conferencing, videoconferencing, educational television, instructional television are examples of synchronous technology, as are direct-broadcast satellite (DBS), internet radio, live streaming, telephone, and web-based VoIP.[37] Online meeting software such as Adobe Connect has helped to facilitate meetings in distance learning courses.

In asynchronous learning, participants access course materials flexibly on their own schedules. Students are not required to be together at the same time. Mail correspondence, which is the oldest form of distance education, is an asynchronous delivery technology, as are message board forums, e-mail, video and audio recordings, print materials, voicemail and fax.[37]

The two methods can be combined. Many courses offered by The Open University use periodic sessions of residential or day teaching to supplement the remote teaching.[38] The Open University uses a blend of technologies and a blend of learning modalities (face-to-face, distance and hybrid) all under the rubric of "distance learning."

Distance learning can also use interactive radio instruction (IRI), interactive audio instruction (IAI), online virtual worlds, digital games, webinars, and webcasts.[38]

Benefits [edit]

Distance learning can expand access to education and training for both general populace and businesses since its flexible scheduling structure lessens the effects of the many time-constraints imposed by personal responsibilities and commitments.[39] Devolving some activities off-site alleviates institutional capacity constraints arising from the traditional demand on institutional buildings and infrastructure.[39] Furthermore, there is the potential for increased access to more experts in the field and to other students from diverse geographical, social, cultural, economic, and experiential backgrounds.[34] As the population at large becomes more involved in lifelong learning beyond the normal schooling age, institutions can benefit financially, and adult learning business courses may be particularly lucrative.[39] Distance education programs can act as a catalyst for institutional innovation[39] and are at least as effective as face-to-face learning programs,[32][40] especially if the instructor is knowledgable and skilled.[35]

Distance education can also provide a broader method of communication in education. With the many tools and programs that technological advancements have to offer, communication appears to increase in distance education amongst students and their professors, as well as students and their classmates. The distance educational increase in communication, particularly communication amongst students and their classmates, is an improvement that has been made to provide distance education students with as many of the opportunities as possible as they would receive in in-person education. The improvement being made in distance education is growing in tandem with the constant technological advancements. Present-day online communication allows students to associate with accredited schools and programs throughout the world that are out of reach for in-person learning. By having the opportunity to be involved in global institutions via distance education, a diverse array of thought is presented to students through communication with their classmates. This is beneficial because students have the opportunity to "combine new opinions with their own, and develop a solid foundation for learning.".[41] It has been shown through research that "as learners become aware of the variations in interpretation and construction of meaning among a range of people [they] construct an individual meaning," which can help students become knowledable of a wide array of viewpoints in education.[41] To increase the likelihood that students will build effective ties with one another during the course, instructors should use similar assignments for students across different locations to overcome the influence of co-location on relationship building.[42]

The high cost of education effects students in higher education, to which distance education may be an alternative in order to provide some relief. Distance education has been a more cost-effective form of learning, and can sometimes save students a significant amount of money as opposed to traditional education. Distance education may be able to help to save students a considerable amount financially by removing the cost of transportation.[43] In addition, distance education may be able to save students from the economic burden of high-priced course textbooks. Many textbooks are now available as electronic textbooks, known as e-textbooks, which can offer digital textbooks for a reduced price in comparison to traditional textbooks. Also, the increasing improvements in technology have resulted in many school libraries having a partnership with digital publishers that offer course materials for free, which can help students significantly with educational costs.[43]

Within the class, students are able to learn in ways that traditional classrooms would not be able to provide. It is able to promote good learning experiences and therefore, allow students to obtain higher satisfaction with their online learning.[44] For example, students can review their lessons more than once according to their need. Students can then manipulate the coursework to fit their learning by focusing more on their weaker topics while breezing through concepts that they already have or can easily grasp.[44] When course design and the learning environment are at their optimal conditions, distance education can lead students to higher satisfaction with their learning experiences.[45] Studies have shown that high satisfaction correlates to increased learning. Students who are enrolled in distance education with high satisfaction in their online coursework are then motivated intrinsically to learn, which often means that their performance in class will improve.[45] For those in a healthcare or mental health distance learning program, online-based interactions have the potential to foster deeper reflections and discussions of client issues[33] as well as a quicker response to client issues, since supervision happens on a regular basis and is not limited to a weekly supervision meeting.[36] This also may contribute to the students feeling a greater sense of support, since they have ongoing and regular access to their instructors and other students.[33][36]

Distance learning may enable students who are unable to attend a traditional school setting, due to disability or illness such as decreased mobility and immune system suppression, to get a good education.[46] Distance education may provide equal access regardless of socioeconomic status or income, area of residence, gender, race, age, or cost per student.[47] Applying universal design strategies to distance learning courses as they are being developed (rather than instituting accommodations for specific students on an as-needed basis) can increase the accessibility of such courses to students with a range of abilities, disabilities, learning styles, and native languages.[48] Distance education graduates, who would have never have been associated with the school under a traditional system, may donate money to the school.[49]

Distance Learning may also offer a final opportunity for adolescences that are no longer permitted in the General Education population due to behavior disorders. Instead of these students having no other academic opportunities, they may continue their education from their homes and earn their diplomas, offering them another chance to be an integral part of society.

Criticism [edit]

Barriers to effective distance education include obstacles such as domestic distractions and unreliable technology[50] as well as students' program costs, adequate contact with teachers and support services, and a need for more experience.[51]

Some students attempt to participate in distance education without proper training of the tools needed to be successful in the program. Students must be provided with training on each tool that is used throughout the program. The lack of advanced technology skills can lead to an unsuccessful experience. Schools have a responsibility to adopt a proactive policy for managing technology barriers.[52]

The results of a study of Washington state community college students showed that distance learning students tended to drop out more often than their traditional counterparts due to difficulties in language, time management, and study skills.[53]

Because online courses may have no upper size limit, there is a theoretical problem about the application of traditional teaching methods to online courses. Daniel Barwick noted that there is no evidence that large class size is always worse or that small class size is always better, although a negative link has been established between certain types of instruction in large classes and learning outcomes; he argued that higher education has not made a sufficient effort to experiment with a variety of instructional methods to determine whether large class size is always negatively correlated with a reduction in learning outcomes.[54] Early proponents of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)s saw them as just the type of experiment that Barwick had pointed out was lacking in higher education, although Barwick himself has never advocated for MOOCs.

Finally, there may also be institutional challenges. Distance learning is new enough that it may be a challenge to gain support for these programs in a traditional brick-and-mortar academic learning environment.[33] Furthermore, it may be more difficult for the instructor to organize and plan a distance learning program,[36] especially since many are new programs and their organizational needs are different from a traditional learning program.

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Honeyman, M; Miller, G (December 1993). "Agriculture distance education: A valid alternative for higher education?". Proceedings of the 20th Annual National Agricultural Education Research Meeting: 67–73. 
  2. ^ Tabor, Sharon W (Spring 2007). "Narrowing the Distance: Implementing a Hybrid Learning Model". Quarterly Review of Distance Education (IAP) 8 (1): 48–49. ISSN 1528-3518. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  3. ^ Vaughan, Dr Norman D. (2010). "Blended Learning". In Cleveland-Innes, MF; Garrison, DR. An Introduction to Distance Education: Understanding Teaching and Learning in a New Era. Taylor & Francis. p. 165. ISBN 0‐415‐99598‐1. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  4. ^ Holmberg, Börje (2005). The evolution, principles and practices of distance education. Studien und Berichte der Arbeitsstelle Fernstudienforschung der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg [ASF] (in German) 11. Bibliotheks-und Informationssystem der Universitat Oldenburg. p. 13. ISBN 3‐8142‐0933‐8. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  5. ^ Moore, Michael G.; Greg Kearsley (2005). Distance Education: A Systems View (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. ISBN 0-534-50688-7. 
  6. ^ Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula; Corwith, Susan. “Distance Education: Where It Started and Where It Stands for Gifted Children and Their Educators.” Gifted Child Today, v. 34 issue 3, 2011, p. 16-24,.
  7. ^ "Key Facts", External Programme, University of London 
  8. ^ Levinson, David L (2005). Community colleges: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 69. ISBN 1‐57607‐766‐7. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  9. ^ Von V. Pittman, "Correspondence Study in the American University: A Second Historiographical Perspective, in Michael Grahame Moore, William G. Anderson, eds. Handbook of Distance Education pp 21-36
  10. ^ Joseph F. Kett, Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties: From Self-Improvement to Adult Education in America (1996) pp 236-8
  11. ^ J.J. Clark, "The Correspondence School--Its Relation to Technical Education and Some of Its Results," Science (1906) 24#611 pp 327-8, 332, 333. Clark was manager of the school's text-book department.
  12. ^ Clark, "The Correspondence School" (1906) p 329
  13. ^ Kett, Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties, p 240
  14. ^ White, M (1982). "Distance education in Australian higher education — a history". Distance Education 3 (2): 255–278. 
  15. ^ Francis Lee (2009). Letters and bytes: Sociotechnical studies of distance education. Francis Lee. p. 48. 
  16. ^ Francis Lee, "Technopedagogies of mass-individualization: correspondence education in the mid twentieth century," History & Technology (2008) 24#3 pp 239-253
  17. ^ Ellen L. Bunker, "The History of Distance Education through the Eyes of the International Council for Distance Education," in Michael Grahame Moore, William G. Anderson, eds. Handbook of Distance Education pp 49-66
  18. ^ Levering Tyson, "Ten Years of Educational Broadcasting," School and Society (1936) 44:225-31
  19. ^ Lloyd Allen Cook, Community Backgrounds of Education: A Textbook and Educational Sociology (1938) pp 249-50
  20. ^ Dwayne D. Cox and William J. Morison, The University of Louisville (1999) pp 115-17
  21. ^ Moore, Michael G; Greg Kearsley (2005). Distance Education: A Systems View (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. pp. 33–36. ISBN 0-534-50688-7. 
  22. ^ Byrne, T. C. (1989). Athabasca University The Evolution of Distance Education. Calgary, Alberta: University of Calgary Press. p. 135. ISBN 0-919813-51-8. 
  23. ^ "History of UNED (in Spanish)". ES. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
  24. ^ "Three Decades". UK: FernUniversität in Hage. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  25. ^ Daniel, Sir John S (1998). Mega-Universities and Knowledge Media: Technology Strategies for Higher Education. Routledge. ISBN 0‐7494‐2634‐9. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  26. ^ Gold, Larry; Maitland, Christine (1999). In Phipps, Ronald A.; Merisotis, Jamie P. What's the difference? A review of contemporary research on the effectiveness of distance learning in higher education. Washington, DC: Institute for Higher Education Policy. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  27. ^ "Accreditation". US: Jones International University. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  28. ^ Walton Radford, MPR Associates, Alexandria. "Learning at a Distance: Undergraduate Enrollment in Distance Education Courses and Degree Programs" (PDF). National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 30 November 2011. 
  29. ^ Accreditation, DETC 
  30. ^ a b Lederman, Doug (8 January 2013). "Growth for Online Learning". InsideHigherEd. Retrieved 30 March 2013. 
  31. ^ Blackmore, C., van Deurzen, E., & Tantam, D. (2007). Therapy training online: Using the internet to widen access to training in mental health issues. In T. Stickley & T. Basset (Eds.) Teaching Mental Health (pgs. 337-352). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  32. ^ a b Jedlicka, J. S., Brown, S. W., Bunch, A. E., & Jaffe, L. E. (2002). A comparison of distance education instructional methods in occupational therapy. Journal of Allied Health, 31(4), 247-251.
  33. ^ a b c d e Stanton, S. (2001). Going the distance; Developing shared web-based learning programmes. Occupational Therapy International, 8(2), 96-106.
  34. ^ a b Maggio, L. M., Chenail, R., & Todd, T. (2001). Teaching family therapy in an electronic age. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 20(1), 13-23.
  35. ^ a b Orr, P. (2010). Distance supervision: Research, findings, and considerations for art therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 37, 106-111.
  36. ^ a b c d Stebnicki, M. A. & Glover, N. M. (2001). E-supervision as a complementary approach to traditional face-to-face clinical supervision in rehabilitation counseling: Problems and solutions. Rehabilitation Education, 15(3), 283-293.
  37. ^ a b Lever-Duffy, Judy; McDonald, Jean B (March 2007). Teaching and Learning with Technology. Ana A. Ciereszko, Al P. Mizell (3rd ed.). Allyn & Bacon. p. 377. ISBN 0‐205‐51191‐0. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  38. ^ a b Burns, Mary. Distance Education for Teacher Training: Modes, Models and Methods. Retrieved 10 September 2012. 
  39. ^ a b c d Oblinger, Diana G. (2000). "The Nature and Purpose of Distance Education". The Technology Source (Michigan: Michigan Virtual University) (March/April). Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  40. ^ Blackmore, C., van Deurzen, E., & Tantam, D. (2007). Therapy training online: Using the internet to widen access to training in mental health issues. In T. Stickley & T. Basset (Eds.) Teaching Mental Health (pgs. 337-352). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  41. ^ a b Educational Benefits of Online Learning. CalPoly.edu. 1998. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 29 March 2013. 
  42. ^ Yuan, Y. Connie; Gay, Geri (2006). "Homophily of Network Ties and Bonding and Bridging Social Capital in Computer-Mediated Distributed Teams". Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 11 (4): 1062. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00308.x. 
  43. ^ a b "Benefits of Online Education". Worldwidelearn.com. Retrieved 2013-04-01. 
  44. ^ a b Kirtman, Lisa (Fall 2009). "Online Versus In-Class Courses: An Examination of Differences in Learning Outcomes". Issues in Teacher Education 18 (2): 103–115. Retrieved 30 March 2013. 
  45. ^ a b Sinclaire, Jollean K. (June 20). "Student satisfaction with online learning: Lessons from organizational behavior". Research in Higher Education 11. Retrieved 30 March 2013. 
  46. ^ "An Exploration of the Representation of Students with Disabilities in Distance Education". Retrieved 7 December 2012. 
  47. ^ "Cyber-charter Schools: The end of Public Education or a New Beginning". 
  48. ^ Burgstahler, S.,"Equal Access: Universal Design of Distance Learning". Retrieved 12 February 2013. 
  49. ^ Casey, Anne Marie; Lorenzen, Michael (2010). "Untapped Potential: Seeking Library Donors Among Alumni of Distance Learning Programs". Journal of Library Administration (Routledge) 50 (5): 515–529. doi:10.1080/01930826.2010.48859. Retrieved 23 January 2011. 
  50. ^ Östlund, Berit. "Stress, disruption and community — Adult learners' experiences of obstacles and opportunities in distance education". Department of Child and Youth Education, Special Education and Counselling, Umeå University. Retrieved 3 December 2011. 
  51. ^ Galusha, Jill M. "Barriers to Learning in Distance Education". Retrieved 2012-04-10. 
  52. ^ Stephens, D. (July 2007). "Quality issues in distance learning". 
  53. ^ http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/online-hybrid-courses-washington.html?UID=872
  54. ^ Barwick, Daniel W. "Views: Does Class Size Matter?". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved October 3, 2011. 

Further reading [edit]

  • Clark, J.J. "The Correspondence School--Its Relation to Technical Education and Some of Its Results," Science (1906) 24#611 pp. 327–334 in JSTOR
  • Hampel, Robert L. "The Business of Education: Home Study at Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin in the 1920s and 1930s," Teachers College Record (2010) 112#9 pp 2496–2571
  • Holmberg, Börje. Theory and Practice of Distance Education (2nd ed 1995) online
  • Kett, Joseph F. Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties: From Self-Improvement to Adult Education in America (1996) excerpt and text search
  • Moore, Michael Grahame and William Anderson (2nd ed. 2012). Handbook of Distance Education. Psychology Press.  online edition
  • Moore, M.G., ed. Contemporary issues in American distance education (1990)
  • Stubblefield, Harold W. and Patrick Keane. Adult Education in the American Experience: From the Colonial Period to the Present (1994) excerpt and text search
  • Walsh, Taylor. Unlocking the Gates: How and Why Leading Universities Are Opening Up Access to Their Courses (Princeton University Press, 2011) online

External links [edit]

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: ICT in Education

Distance], scholarly journal

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