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Marisa Mejia
A review of Module 2-5
EDIT 5370









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Constantly evolving to better suit the needs of students and educators would be the words I
would use to describe the iterative process of creating and maintaining distance education. The
history of distance education can give the users and contributors insight to the effective and
ineffective practices of distance education. History can also provide us with methods of
successful practitioners, remind us of the objective of distance education, and achieve the goals
set forth by the historical educators along with research practices and theory provide us with
insight into what has been successful in specific settings, and the current trends in the
environment of distance education. The utilization of technology in the distance education
classroom has expanded the distance education strategies and boundaries beyond what was
originally imagined. The variety of tools that can be utilized in the distance education classroom
is a lengthy list; however the use of the tool should be thought about carefully in regard to the
learner and the content being taught.






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To begin the process of analyzing Distance Education it would logical to initiate the
thought process with a definition of Distance Education. Distance Education is a form of creating
a learning and teaching environment when face to face interaction of teacher and learner is
prohibited in some way. There are many factors that can prohibit the learner from participating
in a traditional learning setting such factors may include work, family, religion, locality to school
systems, naming just a few. The concept of distance education provides the learner with the
opportunity to gain knowledge and participate in a type of virtual classroom. The ideal distance
education classroom would contain a professional instructor, classmates from various areas, and
provide instruction while maintaining the infrastructure that allows student peers to interact.
Although some may argue that distance education may lack the rigor of traditional curriculum
and instructional strategies, I believe the distance education learner is often more responsible,
driven, and can be a competitive high achieving student. The concept of distance education puts
more responsibility onto both parties participating in the Distance Education classroom. To
create a professional Distance Education classroom the instructor must evolve and manipulate
the curriculum to allow for Distance Education, and in turn the student must be more willing to
work independently and manage time efficiently to allow for success when participating in
distance education. To achieve the level of successful traditional classroom instruction; distance
educators and learners must alter their ways of instruction and learning; each becoming more
responsible for the success of knowledge in the classroom. Within this classroom many
variations of distance education can occur. It is important to mention and define the various
offspring of distance education. From Caruth 2013:
1. Blended and hybrid courses are defined as courses that deliver material both face-to-face
and online and students interact with instructors both online and face-to-face.
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2. Distance education is defined as instruction in which students are separated from
instructors to reach a during the entire course of study
3. Face-to-face and traditional courses are courses that deliver material face-to-face and
students interact with instructors face-to-face.
4. Online and internet courses are defined as courses that deliver material entirely online
and students interact with instructors entirely online.

The history of Distance Education begins over 100 years ago but parallels the intentions of
todays distance education programs and developers. To analyze the history of Distance
Education I begin by mentioning the various methods by which such programs became possible.
To begin with the most dated method, in the 1800s Sir Issac Pitman began offering shorthand
lessons to students via correspondence. Correspondence study basically involves the use of
print-based course materials and the postal service. The beginnings of correspondence study
depended on the emergence of the same factors that contributed to the birth of adult education:
adult literacy, the printing press, a publishing industry, mass-produced, low cost pens (Hamilton,
1990), and needbrought on by the demands of the Industrial Revolution for an educated
workforce. (Sumner 2000). Another contributor worthy of mention is Anna Ticknor who also
implemented the use correspondence into education this time with a central aim at educating
women. It was through the thought of women and their household obligations that they were not
able to attend universities. Ticknor was able to see past this obstacle and create the The Society
to Encourage Studies at Home a distance learning option conducted through the mail (Sumner
2000). The ever progressing forms of communication continued to change the world of Distance
Education. The second generation of distance education integrated the use of print with
broadcast media, cassettes, and to some degree computers (Nipper, 1989). With the growth of
new technologies, the opportunities for communicative action via two-way communication
increased, but were often squandered by emphasizing the quantity and seamlessness of
production over the quality of the learning experience, especially group interaction and social
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learning (Sumner 2000). In 1930 the wide spread audience of the radio led some to envision the
use of such technology in the distribution of education. The reach and immediacy of radio
provided educators with a new and potentially powerful medium through which to support and
modify education (Sumner 2000). During the 1900s a number of schools were granted radio
licenses granting permission to distribute education via radio. These schools not only included
universities but also K-12. This transformation of distributing education eventually led to
education through television. With the rising costs of college tuition the use of providing
education through television gained appeal in the 1960s. The invention of the World Wide Web
in the 1990s ignited and transformed Distance Education as we now know it. Subsequently the
development of software programs such as BlackBoard, WebCT and Lotus have resulted in the
exponential of web based instructional delivery (Caruth 2013).This current phase lends us to
really think about how to best utilize the abundance of tools afforded the distance educator. This
unfortunately became the afterthought of many universities as many were quick to jump on the
Distance Education bandwagon and simply covert to e-books, scan, copy and deliver instruction
to distance students without careful thought about the learning process and how it changes in
distance classrooms, hybrid classrooms, and the online environment. Many students including
myself signed up for Distance Education with the intention of receiving a high quality education
from established professors. I assumed as most do that the curriculum of distance education was
more than adapted for distance, and that the professors or educators were trained in providing
Distance Education. For the most part this has been true; however there have been cases where I
felt as though the educator had neglected the objective of the distance education student. For
most non-traditional students, the main reason for taking distance education courses was that
the time was flexible and convenient, another reason to be mentioned is the difficulty students
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had in getting to the campus (Belcheir, Marcia J .; Cucek, Mira (2001-04). With that being said
the distance educator must realize that the time dedicated towards distance education is not
something that was given away lightly without deep contemplation. I feel as though this
dedication of time is sometimes ignored. As a distance education student, my standard behind
assignments is somewhat higher than when I attended traditional college. Time is a value that
cannot be ignored and each assignment should be worth the time spent. I expect all assignments
to be meaningful as well as instructive. It would seem as though this is the trend when students
discovered that they were receiving a less than stellar education. The curriculum utilized in
distance education should be equivocal to that of a traditional classroom. As the education world
realizes it mistake in its eagerness it does seem as though measures are being taken to fix the
situation. This can be seen in the current research and theory being utilized in shaping todays
distance education offerings.
Researchers conducting comparative research often ask the same basic research question: Is
distance education as good as or better than, traditional education? This type of question is
premised on the implicit yet rarely mentioned assumption that traditional education is the ideal
mode of educational delivery and thus can serve as the gold standard against which all other
forms of alternative education should be measured. (Diaz 2000). In a search for theory used
in distance education, the use of the constructivists theory seems like the most appropriate
response. The constructivists learning perspective asserts that the learner constructs new
knowledge through a process of relating new information to prior knowledge and experience
(Olgren, 1998). Working under the constructivist approach teachers become guides rather than
dispensers of knowledge, and instructional practices places the importance on the role of the
student in constructing knowledge (Diaz 2000). It would be a fair assumption that if the
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educators were trained to utilize this theory in their approach to distance education the
curriculum and delivery strategies would naturally adapt. The inclusion of student centered
learning seems like a natural process in the delivery of education across distance. With the
student being the most responsible for their learning in distance classes, the educator should
recognize this and delivery methods should be reflective of the theory. I feel that the classes I
have participated in thus far have not always used this seemingly obvious approach to distance
education. Teachers usually taught the way they were taught, and most distance educators have
not been on the other end of the spectrum. Most traditional college professors prefer the lecture
style classroom. For some this may be a valid response, however I would like to assume college
professors have completed research understanding instructional strategies for providing excellent
distance education. That being said, I continue to have professors who carry on in the path of
lecture style classrooms even across the boundaries of distance education. For me, this particular
method of delivery has been an obstacle. The notable traditional style professor may not a
notable distance educator. The two are not synchronous in methodology.
The selection of tools or technology used to aid in the delivery of knowledge in distance
education is at the forefront of todays trends and procedures. Following the booming impact that
the internet had on distance education came the surplus of tools available for distribution to help
activate the learning at a distance. The technological developments of internet and
communication reduce the costs in distance education and also provide extensive use of visual
materials and simultaneous or different time applications Halac, H., & Cabuk, A. (2013). The
beginning of distance education researchers noticed a lack of interaction between learners and
educators as well as the important relationship between peers. The use of technology in todays
distance education classroom attempts to close that gap providing a richer and higher learning
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environment that distance learners have come to expect. The flexibility of tools used in distance
education provides students and educators with the opportunity to reach across boundaries but
tool selection within classroom is significant to the learning process. The practice of technology
should be used when it enhances the learning experience. With a distance education classroom
the opportunities to enhance the experience are plentiful. Careful selection of the tools must be
made by the educator. Such tools include asynchronous and synchronous tools. Recent research
demonstrates the students perception of such tools. In the field of physical educators training,
Antoniou and Siskos (2007) explored perceptions for the learning environment of a training
program in which synchronous and asynchronous technologies were used and the results showed
that it met the expectations of the 24 participants for active participation and collaborative
learning. Additionally, the results of a more recent study showed that physical educators believe
that synchronous online training reinforces the interaction and cooperation, without creating
feelings of isolation due to lack of physical presence (Maheridou, M., Antoniou P., Koutessis,
T., & Avegerinos, A. (2011). The feeling of isolation does not seem to be a concern of most
distance education students. As stated previously most distance education students have
obligations elsewhere restricting their time allotted for learning. Although distance education
classes strive to bridge the interaction gap, I do not feel that the gap between peers is as
important as the distance between the learner and educator. The tool selection process and the
use of the constructivists theory in distance education should aid the development of the course.
Distance Education students are more responsible for their learning and the correct selection of
asynchronous tools can help the transfer of knowledge to occur more meaningful. According to
Hara, Bonk and Angeli (1998) the asynchronous or delayed capabilities of e-learning tools,
allows learners some control, while increasing "wait-time and general opportunities for
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reflective learning, and processing of information. In addition, the combined interactivity and
asynchronous nature of computer-mediated communication encourages learners to reflect on
their own perspectives, express their ideas, and learn from the content of the interaction itself
(Maheridou, M., Antoniou P., Koutessis, T., & Avegerinos, A. (2011).
The constantly evolving practice of distance education provides the learners with learning
opportunities previously unattainable and educators with the ability to teach someone without
boundaries. However the changing of the learning environment should strike change in the
delivery of knowledge and curriculum. Distance programs are expected to provide an equivocal
education and rightfully so.











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References
Sujo de Montes, L. E., & Gonzales, C. L. (2000). More than Having a Connection: Qualitative
Factors That Affect Learning in a Web-Based University Course.
Lockhart, M., & Goodwin, I. (2007). Transforming How Courses Are Delivered: A Model For
Teaching Faculty How to Design Effective Distance Education Courses Using Constructivist
Theory. Journal Of Faculty Development, 21(2), 73-79.
Stanistreet, P. (2009). A university of the air. Adults Learning, 20(7), 8.
Caruth, G. D., & Caruth, D. L. (2013). Distance Education in the United States: From
Correspondence Courses to the Internet. Turkish Online Journal Of Distance Education, 14(2),
141-149.
Halac, H., & Cabuk, A. (2013). Open Courseware in Design and Planning Education and
Utilization of Distance Education Opportunity: Anadolu University Experience. Turkish Online
Journal Of Distance Education, 14(1), 338-350.
Maheridou, M., Antinou, P., Kouttesssis, T., & Avgerinos, A. (2011). Blogs in Distance
Education: An Analysis of Physical Educators' Perceptions of Learning. Turkish Online Journal
Of Distance Education (TOJ DE), 12(1), 95-107.
Belcheir, Marcia J .; Cucek, Mira (2001-04). Student Perceptions of Their Distance Education
Courses. Research Report

Sumner, J . (2000). Serving the System: a critical history of distance education. Open
Learning, 15(3), 267-285. doi:10.1080/026805100750036881