Reflection on Distance Learning

Distance Learning: Expanding Horizons

In his video George Siemens speaks of growing acceptance of distance education that is fueled by:

• The increase in online communication; 
• Practical experience with new tools;
• Growing comfort with online discourse; and
• Ability to communicate with diverse and global groups (Laureate, 2010).

Despite Siemens’ optimistic vision of what the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future, currently there are some concerns, whether online education is as valuable and effective as traditional education. Moller, Foshay & Huett (2008) mention a stigma attached to distance education, poor organisation of training and shortage of instructional design professionals. Many in traditional education view distance education institutions as “diploma mills” with no classrooms, untrained or non-existent faculties, and unqualified administrators with profit as their primary motivation. Gambescia and Paolucci (2009) stress that while the flexibility and convenience factor afforded by online learning is a natural selling point, these attributes shouldn’t be much more prominent than those factors that speak to academic fidelity. Correspondingly Moller et al (Part 1, p. 70) specifically criticize economics and access as the only rationale for distance education by pointing out that "effectiveness [then] is either naively assumed or not particularly valued.”

However Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek (2012, p. 9) claim that the research proves that distance education works and provide 6 postulates directly related to its effectiveness:

1. Training in effective instructional strategies is critical for teachers of distant learners.
2. Distance education courses should be carefully designed and developed before instruction begins.
3. Visualization of ideas and concepts is critical when designing instruction to be delivered to distant learners
4. Adequate support systems must be in place to provide the distant learner with access to resources and services.
5. Interaction between the instructor and students and among students must be possible and encouraged.
6. Assessment should be designed to relate to the specific learning outcomes of the instructional experiences.

Success of online learning, as further explained by Simonson et al (2008, p.15), is enabled by technology, since it can provide optimal learning experiences for learners of diverse educational, technical, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds; in situations where classroom-based learning is either impossible or impractical.

So the future does look optimistic as “emerging technologies are changing online distance learning because they offer new solutions, add flexibility to integrate student interaction, and evoke real-life collaboration opportunities” (Beldarrain, 2006, p. 152).

Educational Paradigm: The Need for Change

In 1988 Keegan spoke about a negative impact the lack of theory had had on distance education “...there had been a lack of identity, a sense of belonging to the periphery and the lack of touchstone against which decisions on methods, on media, on financing, on student support, when they have to be made, can be made with confidence” (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 41).

Would you agree with Moller et al (2008) that distance learning ''can do more damage than good if it is not designed or implemented properly''? I think it is not only a matter of quality of instructional design but as Moller et al (2008) put it ''reconsideration by contemporary views of what constitutes instruction''. So I have discovered that my personal learning preferences correspond to the principles of Charles Wedemeyer’s Theory of Independent Study that identifies such characteristics of distance learning as communication, pacing, convenience and self-determination of goals and activities (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 43).

In the video Changing Education Paradigms (2010), adapted from his talk given at the RSA, Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert, speaks of the theoretical underpinnings that cause a clash of mainstream education and real needs of today’s students.

Make a Difference: One Online English School

My primary motivation when I started at Walden was to gain skills and knowledge for launching my own online English school. So far I have made a number of important steps towards my dream.

1. I have realized the importance of of a theoretical basis for decision making. So far my heart is in Wedemeyer’s Theory of Independent Study because of the nature of my project. However, in the process of considering the project constraints I am not going to dismiss the rest of the distance education theories presented by Simonson et al (2012).

2. Planning in distant education is crucial and though it is very time-consuming and needs a lot of effort it is well worth all the trouble, because “well-designed instruction is repeatable” (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 165). So I decided to devote a couple of years to designing and evaluating my online English school. Being a practitioner of online education I can ask my students to beta-test my course, as “learners can give feedback in lesson design and instruction delivery” (Simonson et al, 2012).

3. After completing the Distance Learning course, I can finally see the importance of identifying learners’ needs at the very beginning. Moore (1998) has noted that technologies are not critical elements in shaping students satisfaction with their distance course. Rather, student’s satisfaction is determined by “the attention students receive from teachers and from the system they work in to meet their needs”. Those needs include:

Content that they feel is relevant to their needs

Clear directions for what they should do at every stage of the course

As much control of the pace of learning as possible

A means to drawing attention to individual concerns

A way of testing their progress and getting feedback from the instructors

Materials that are useful, active, and interesting (Simonson et al, 2012,p. 169).

4. Another issue I am going to consider when designing an online instruction is assessing the progress of learners. Until recently the assessment that I have employed in my teaching practice was informal and it seemed enough to provide feedback and keep students motivated. However, unlike face-to-face synchronous private studies, an online language course catering to a bigger group of students with most of its content delivered online has different constraints. Assessment here enables students “to gain a sense of control and they can take greater responsibilities for their learning, if they know how well they are doing, compared with an established set of criteria” (Simonson et al, 2012).

5. Another important thing for me to consider is evaluation. While the notion of evaluation is not new to anyone involved in institutionally based teaching process, nowadays it is departing from a traditional quantitative approach and is increasingly incorporating “more naturalistic methodologies with holistic perspectives” (Simonson et al, 2012). These counter-approach methods include focus groups, interviews, observations, ratings and journals.

I consider AEIOU approach (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 351) to be optimal for evaluating an online language course, as it benefits both from quantitative and qualitative methodologies and examines the following important components of instruction:

Accountability (accountability data is collected);

Effectiveness (achievement and attitude are measured);

Impact (longitudinal data is collected);

Organizational Context (environmental/contextual factors that have affected the instruction are identified);

Unanticipated Consequences (unexpected positive or negative changes that occurred as a result of instruction are identified) (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 351).

6. I am currently teaching a face-to-face synchronous online course, however, I don't see this delivery method appropriate for such a big project as an online language school. I am very concerned about the quality and effectiveness of online schools in Russia. I have worked for a couple of online schools including higher education distance language courses and have done a lot of research in this sphere. It turns out there is no evaluation or assessment which I see as crucial to students’s success. I am planning for the most of the content to be delivered in asynchronous mode: teaching reading, writing and listening skills. However, in my program speaking will be essentially face-to-face and synchronous to ensure that students are engaged and have an opportunity to master their skills in a live communication with a native speaker.

My desire to explore the asynchronous realm is dictated by the fact that none of online English schools that work in Russia makes it possible for students to study asynchronously, they all heavily depend on a teacher, whereas I am looking to implement Wedemeyer’s vision. The online learning resources will be selected to help students navigate their own learning and provide them with “a wider choice of methods and formats to reach their learning goal” (Simonson et al 2012, p. 44).

Finally, the biggest selling point of my language course will be the fact that “With the growing population and advancements in technology, school is no longer seen as the only place to have the education” (Kilimci, S., 2010, p. 109). So private sector emerges with costs lower than traditional language courses, as individualized learning happens from the comfort of both teacher’s and learner’s homes and offers wider choices in courses, formats and methodologies.

Reference

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2),139–153.

Gambescia, S., & Paolucci, R. (2009). Academic fidelity and integrity as attributes of university online degree program offerings. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 12(1). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring121/gambescia121.html

Kilimci, S. (2010). Integration of the Internet into a Language Curriculum in a Multicultural Society. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET, 9(1), 107-113.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The future of distance education [Video Program].

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development).TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75

RSA Animate (Producer). (2010). Changing Education Paradigms [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://comment.rsablogs.org.uk/videos/

Simonson, H., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S., (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of education at a distance. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Online Course Conversion Guide

Scenario: A training manager has been frustrated with the quality of communication among trainees in his face-to-face training sessions and wants to try something new. With his supervisor’s permission, the trainer plans to convert all current training modules to a blended learning format, which would provide trainees and trainers the opportunity to interact with each other and learn the material in both a face-to-face and online environment. In addition, he is considering putting all of his training materials on a server so that the trainees have access to resources and assignments at all times.

1. Educational Theory

Because the issue raised in the scenario is the quality of communication it is helpful to start with considering an educational theory that will guide the conversion of the course to an online format. The author of the Theory of Interaction and Communication Börje Holmberg argued in favour of a conversational approach to course development and I based this Online Course Conversion Guide on the following assumption:

“The core of teaching is interaction between the teaching and learning parties; it is assumed that simulated interaction through subject-matter presentation in pre-produced courses can take over part of the interaction by causing students to consider different views, approaches, and solutions and generally interact with a course” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 48).

Teaching methods conducive to learning according to Holmberg include mediated interaction of student-student, student-instructor and student-content character and problem oriented assignments.

2. Multimedia

I recommend revising the course activities in favour of those conducive to creating a learning community. As new technologies emerge, instructional designers and educators have unique opportunities to foster interaction and collaboration among learners, thus creating a true learning community (Beldarrain, 2006).

When selecting the technology for delivering the online component of the course it is important to keep in mind seven principles for implementing new technologies in distance education programs (Chickering, Ehrmann, 1996):

Selecting Technology Tools on Prezi by Yulia Tolstopyatova

To incorporate some or all of those tools into your course I suggest using Course Management Systems that “have become the de facto standard by which the vast majority of the asynchronous distance education courses are delivered” (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 238).

CMS tools are expected to promote power, affiliation, and achievement which according to McClelland and Burnham (1976) are basic motivators. “In an online environment, affiliation needs are often satisfied by means of an interactive discussion board or chat area. Instant messaging also often satisfies that need. Any learning object that helps improve collaboration and interactivity among learners is likely to help a learner or user achieve affiliation needs. Further, any learning object that encourages learners to want to identify with the identity of the institution, and to improve self-concept through affiliation is also likely to increase an individual’s sense of power and achievement” (Smith Nash, 2005, p. 224).

3. Course Activities

According to Simonson et al (2012, p. 239) one of the most powerful tools used in distance education are discussion forums.

A discussion board fulfills several important functions in an online environment:

- Helps CREATE THE LEARNING COMMUNITY. Each member of the discussion contributes to “the building of community of understanding” (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 240).

- ENGAGES STUDENTS in active learning. Distance students involved in weekly discussions are responsible for their own learning, so Simonson (2012, p. 245) speaks of the “”kiss of death” that is the lack of student participation for any distance course.

- Serves as an ASSESSMENT TOOL. “Instructors with a belief in and appreciation for constructivist learning acknowledge the importance of using authentic tasks for evaluating students’ performance in online courses” (Comeaux, 2006, 14).

- Provides FEEDBACK. Feedback on a discussion board performance enhances critical thinking, writing literacy and scholarly behavior. Therefore, Simonson (2012) suggests that “threaded discussions should be graded, from minimal setup expectations to a truly exemplary level.”

However there might be some students reluctant to participate in online discussions, in this case Connolly et al (2007) recommend providing more input in the early stages to foster trust and develop confidence. Students involved in the study provided the following reasons for the lack of participation:

- lack of confidence;

- discussion boards were not linked to the assessment;

- exclusion by the rest of the group;

- lack of tutor guidance.

Source: Adapted from Connolly, Jones & Jones (2007)

It is important to remember that Instructor’s feedback to a discussion board is like wood to fire. It is best expressed by an undergraduate student involved in a distance education study "I liked the moderator who gave us the most feedback, with further comments and questions to keep our threads going and to stimulate further discussion and to make us think laterally and beyond what was said" (Connolly et al, 2007).

4. The Role of the Instructor

Distance education, states Simonson (2012, p. 241), is an opportunity to revisit the role of the instructor in the learning environment. And Dr. George Piskurich singles out the following attributes of a successful online facilitator:

They know the software used in the course;

They know the lesson plan;

They try to constantly communicate with their students online;

They actively participate in synchronous and asynchronous discussions;

They care about learners’ success.

They induce active learning by providing activities that help students to learn the content.

“Distance learning demands that students become engaged in the learning process” (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 243).  Discussion thread is one of the best tools to encourage students to socially construct and discover their knowledge. One measure of the success of a threaded discussion sequence, says Simonson (2012), is a reduced role played by the instructor. Simonson et al (2012) advise against posting to more than 1 post out of 4 in a thread, and recommend monitoring the thread without overpowering it, letting the students build on one another’s comments and self-regulate.

And finally, remember that while the content is important, the activities are the heart of your course and engaging activities keep this heart healthy and beating; taking dull and old activities of a traditional teacher-centered classroom and dumping them online will just result in a cardiac arrest of your course’s heart.

This Online Course Conversion Guide is also available in PDF, just click the highlighted words to download the document.

References:

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance Education Trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education 27(2), 139-153

Comeaux, P., Assessing Students’ Online Learning: Strategies and Resources (2006). Retrieved from http://www.podnetwork.org/publications/teachingexcellence/05-06/V17,%20N3%20Comeaux.pdf

Connolly, M., Jones, C., & Jones, N. (2007). New Approaches, New Vision: Capturing Teacher Experiences in a Brave New Online World. Open Learning, 22(1), 43-56. Retrieved from ERIC research database in the Walden Library.

Piskurich, G. Chauser, J. (n.d). (2012). Facilitating online learning. (Video program). Laureate Education Inc. Retrieved from Walden Online University

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

Smith Nash, S. (2005). Learning objects, learning object repositories, and learning theory: preliminary best practices for online courses. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, 1. Retrieved from http://www.ijello.org/Volume1/v1p217-228Nash.pdf