My Reflection on Distance Learning

Distance Learning has been the most challenging course I have taken thus far at Walden University. I now know that there is so much more to a distance learning experience than I ever imagined. Because of the many requirements in the course and the additional expectations of Dr. Paige I have learned a plethora of information that will be beneficial to me and the learners I will come into contact with in the future. From the onset of this course I have learned that although there are some disadvantages to online learning there are also definite advantages for students and institutions. Creating a learning community (Palloff & Pratt, 2007) as an instructor and learning the backgrounds of students is critical for a successful distance learning experience (Simonson, et al., 2012).

Throughout this course distance education has been defined in so many different ways. One definition is a formal education that is institution-based where the learner and instructor are separated and interactive telecommunications are used to connect the two (Simonson, et al., 2012). In addition, Hilary Perraton (1988) defined distance education as an educational process in which a significant proportion of the teaching is conducted by someone removed in space and/or time from the learner. In distance education the role of the instructor reverses from presenter to facilitator and the learner assumes the responsibility for their knowledge intake (Simonson, et al., 2012). Also the attributes of a successful distance learner have many characteristics. A person with an increased commitment to learning, a self-starter and highly motivated will be a good candidate for distance learning (Simonson, et al., 2012).

As for the perception of distance learning it will continue to have an impact on education in the years to come (Schmidt & Gallegos, 2001). Distance learning/education is not for everyone (Schmidt & Gallegos, 2001) but I do believe anyone can adapt to and be successful in this type of learning environment. Dr. George Siemens stated that distance education acceptance is fueled by an increase in online communication, practical experience with new tools, a growing sense of comfort and the ability to communicate globally (Laureate Education, 2010). The key ingredient will be to make sure learners have everything they need to be successful and they feel the instructor cares about their success. Whatever technologies are required the appropriate tutorials and assistance is needed for learners to be successful and enjoy their experience in an online education. For those who are skeptical about an online degree program they may try what Schlosser and Burmeister (1999) believed in, the “best of both worlds”, where courses would have some face-to-face instruction and distance delivered content. I think with some type of support system anyone can be successful and have an experience in distance learning that will be memorable.

As an instructional designer I can be an advocate for improving societal perceptions of distance learning by promoting and sharing my wonderful experiences with online learning. I can also inform others of the many advantages of participating in an online degree program. The flexibility of studying when it is convenient, the ease of working from home, while on vacation (if desired) or anywhere and the benefit of still being able to collaborate with my classmates and instructor through various techniques are a plus.

I will be a positive force for continuous improvements in the field of distance educations by following some simple steps to help new online learners as well as veterans remain engaged and motivated. Implementing new interactive technologies and innovative ways to learn will keep my learners engaged and looking forward to the next task. Providing the roles of the learner and me as the instructor will assist learners in knowing exactly what is expected of them and what they should expect from me. I will also need to make sure that legal issues are addressed in my deliverance of content by giving credit for photos, videos and content that I will use in my delivery of instruction. My goal would be to make sure the learners I come into contact with are not in the group of learners who leave a distance learning environment with debt and no credentials (Tilsley, 2012).


References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The future of distance education. [DVD]. Baltimore, MD.

Schmidt, E., & Gallegos, A. (2001). Distance learning: Issues and concerns of distance
learners. Journal of Industrial Technology, 17(3). Retrieved from
http://atmae.org/jit/Articles/schmidt041801.pdf

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and Learning
at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (5th Ed.) Boston, MA:
Pearson

Tilsley, A. (October 23, 2012). Foundation and four-year college team up on online
associate degree program. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/10/23/foundation-and-four-year-
college-team-online-associate-degree-program




Photo Credit
stellaidtmania.blogspot.com

Converting to a Distance Learning Format

Considering the dilemmas the training manager is having with the quality of communication among his trainees there are several solutions to solve his issues. Instructors must make decisions that will affect all aspects of the instructional environment when planning for distance education (Moore& Kearsley, 2005).

First of all, the pre-planning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program from face-to-face to a blended learning format are to first keep his trainees end result at the forefront of his planning. Schlosser and Burmeister (1999) believed in the “best of both worlds” where courses would have some face-to-face instruction and some distance delivered learning. The training manager needs to consider the Unit-Module-Topic (UMT approach). This approach allows for consideration of the content, the nature of the learner, the method or how the learning will take place and the means for gauging the learning experience (Simonson, et al., 2012). Some materials will need to be reconfigured and some may need to be eliminated completely.

The aspects of the original training program could be enhanced in the distance learning format by incorporating interactive activities by introducing new technologies. The trainer needs to figure out what actually works and what needs to be improved by performing an evaluation (Simonson, et al., 2012) of the original program. Finding ways to illustrate key topics or concepts, using figures and tables, and adding visual representations of some of the content are ways to improve the program (Simonson, et al., 2012).

The trainer’s role will change in a distance learning environment mainly because he will be required to be online a considerable amount of time. He will need to create a learning community that includes the learners and the instructor (Palloff & Pratt, 2007). Providing feedback that will give guidance of what the learners did well and what areas may need improvement (Simonson, et al. 2012) will have to be done in order for learners to correct their errors or celebrate what they did correctly.

The steps the trainer can take to make sure the learners are communicating online would be to give them an activity where they introduce themselves to their peers and give some personal and professional information. If the trainer has created a learning community the participants will be eager to get involved. Giving learners the security of knowing that the trainer is honestly concerned about their success in the course will also encourage them to participate in collaboration. The trainer and learners can post their comments and thoughts to discussions in order to make sure learners engage in meaningful conversation and debate (Simonson, et al., 2012).

Reference

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (5th Ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Analysis of the Impact of Open Source by Patricia Beamon

My Open Course Site Selection:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Open Course: A free and open educational resource for educators, students, and self-learners around the world.
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

The Open Course site from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) definitely did all of their homework. This site was so user friendly I found myself surfing it for almost two hours during my initial visit. A critical part of instructional design is to consider the components of a successful learning system (Dick, et al., 2009) Simonson, et. al (2012) listed the components as the learner, content, method, materials, environment, including the technology. Not only are the courses very carefully pre-planned but they are designed for all learners at a distance.

All courses are easily accessible by topic, course number, department, and most visited through the course finder. All materials and audios can be downloaded if desired. The syllabus contained a very clear course overview, caveat emptor (which gives the training audience and what is expected of learners), required materials (which are available for purchase online), grading scale and calendar with specific due dates for assignments.

The audios and videos on this site were amazing. Lecture tracks can be listened to online or downloaded for free through two sources; iTunes and Internet Archive. This is an excellent source for learners with disabilities such as blindness and/or limited vision. Also there are course implementations of activities such as toys and games in some of the mathematics courses, simulations for investigation and education, and memory games that maximize active learning. Because I love online games this open course site will become a favorite for me for future use.

Readings that are available on the site consist of required readings, suggested readings and readings by session. In addition to the readings, the assignments are in adobe pdf which has auto zoom that will help learners with limited vision disabilities. Assignments also have the APA format cite at the bottom for reference purposes. That is a really great feature.

Another useful feature on this open course site is the translated courses. It has translations of the entire site in either Spanish, two dialects of Chinese, Turkish, Portuguese, Thai, Korean, and Persian. There are also over 900 courses for learners with disabilities. The RSS feed is another piece that can be helpful to learners.

Lastly, this site has all the legal elements that Dr. Paige has discussed with the class in his announcement regarding “Fair Use” of materials. MIT has a list of coursework to share, to remix and the conditions for use of materials. They do not allow commercial use of any of their materials. One MIT employee had a quote that I thought was fitting for the impact of open source: “The idea is simple: to publish all of our course materials online and make them widely available to everyone.” Dick K.P. Yue, Professor, MIT School of Engineering

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). Planning and Designing Online Courses [DVD]. Baltimore, MD

Morrison, G.R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J.E. (2011). Designing effective instruction. (Sixth Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (5th Ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson




Dreamweaver:
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/BeamonP/My%20Documents/Walden/Distance%20Learning/WK5AssgnBeamonP.html

Selecting Distance Learning Technologies

This blog post will consider the needs and requirements of the learning context presented in Interactive Tours (Example 2) and which technologies will provide a solution to the following dilemma of an interactive tour. 

Example 2: Interactive Tours A high school history teacher, located on the west coast of the United States, wants to showcase to her students new exhibits being held at two prominent New York City museums. The teacher wants her students to take a "tour" of the museums and be able to interact with the museum curators, as well as see the art work on display. Afterward, the teacher would like to choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have the students participate in a group critique of the individual work of art. As a novice of distance learning and distance learning technologies, the teacher turned to the school district’s instructional designer for assistance. In the role of the instructional designer, what distance learning technologies would you suggest the teacher use to provide the best learning experience for her students? 

For this interactive tour there are several technology tools that could be used to help this teacher give her students a tour of prominent New York City museums. The two technology tools I have chosen are You Tube Videos and Virtual Tours of New York City museums (interactive if desired). Simply throwing a slide presentation onto a website may be fast and inexpensive but almost never achieves the anticipated results according to the article, Distance Learning Improves Performance in Troubled Times by Nancy Murphy and Julia Young. A thoughtfully created program should encompass a variety of learning activities that will develop skills and accelerate time to useful applications. Organizations are moving towards the virtual world of training and the traditional training and management roles are becoming faint. 

According to our text, Teaching and Learning at a Distance, technologies are tools that must be mastered to be effective. Electronic methods used to connect the instructor, students and resources are telecommunications technologies. These can be categorized in two ways, telecommunications technologies and instructional technologies. If an instructor selects the correct media when designing online instruction it will maximize efficiency and make room for various resources and additional learning experiences. The power of the Web can be employed through the use of Web 2.0 applications which are tools that contribute to learner engagement and higher-order learning. Because many instructors incorporate technology into their daily activities, web tools cannot be used effectively by learners without proper instruction on their use. Training is essential at the beginning of an online course to ensure learners know how to use the technology tool. There are four strategies for online delivery that must be used in organizing instruction and they are linear-programmed instruction, branched-program instruction, hyper-programmed instruction, and student-programmed instruction. Schroeder (2007) believed that virtual environments “built on the very premises of online engagement and interaction” will ultimately replace the World Wide Web. 

Using You Tube as a technology tool to help solve the teacher’s issue of having her learners take a tour of prominent New York City museums and critique paintings would be well served. You Tube was founded in February 2005 where anyone can upload video files from anywhere to view and is one of the most visited sites on the web according to our text, Teaching and Learning at a Distance. Also, several instructors upload video-based lecture recordings and other course materials for learners to see. Since video recording capabilities are built into most digital devices, cell phones and computers with video editing tools, the possibilities of student learning activities are unending. You Tube is a popular online video-sharing web site for both scholarly and non-scholarly communication as mentioned in the article by the Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, An Assessment of Faculty Usage of You Tube as a Teaching Resource. The article discusses a pilot study that was performed to determine faculty’s current and potential utilization of You Tube in their classes; identify faculty perceptions of the benefits of You Tube as a health education resource for in-class and online courses and to identify potential limitations and challenges of this online source. The faculty considered You Tube to be an effective resource for enhancing their health education course material. This study also suggested that You Tube may be a viable, innovative resource for use by university faculty in health education and other disciplines. Research has shown that a more productive and enriched learning environment for classrooms is one that incorporates technology. You Tube establishes a sense of classroom community while integrating relevant content and encouraging learners to use this tool to achieve better learner outcomes. This tool addresses the new millennium learners of today. According to this study nearly 79% of college learners feel the internet has a positive impact on their college experience. We must keep in mind the limitations of this technology tool as well. Posting copyrighted material is prohibited by U.S. copyrighted laws, searching for appropriate or content-specific clips may be challenging, since this is an unrestricted platform instructors must make sure the content used is from a credible source (a disclaimer should be added to any You Tube links) and computer hackers sometimes upload Spyware and viruses through online videos. The benefits far outweigh the limitations. Some benefits of You Tube are instructors can greatly expand their educational audiences even to international learners, learners and educators can access real-life demonstrations of applicable skills, guest speaker presentations for lectures can be posted, and this tool can be restricted to learners in a particular course as well. The most important aspect of You Tube is that it is FREE! With today’s budget restraints in education this is another tool that will not cost a penny. 

The second technology tool this instructor can use to assist in giving her learners the maximum experience of visiting prominent New York City museums is a virtual tour of the museum. In Iowa the success to their distance education system is the concept of sharing as discussed in our text, Teaching and Learning at a Distance. Iowa uses live, two-way interaction telecommunication with hundreds of classrooms being connected for effective learning. Scholastic.com published a great article, Virtual Field Trips, which states more schools are using videoconferencing to lead virtual field trips to venues such as museums, zoos and exotic lands. There is a lot of stimulation outside the classroom and the beauty of virtual field trips is that they can be customized for learners and the educational goals of the instructor. Tours can actually be planned specific to an instructors needs. Another advantage is that virtual visits deepen learner’s understanding of what they are studying in the traditional classroom. The most exciting benefit of virtual field trips is that learners can travel around the world without ever leaving their classroom and no need for a passport. The question with this technology tool is do these virtual tours actually help learners understand content better? The answer according to Janine Lim, instructional technology consultant at Berrien RESA in Berrien County, Michigan at the time this article was written, is absolutely. If kids keep talking about a virtual tour they experienced year after year then the goal was met in giving learners a learning experience they will always remember. No matter what approach schools may take to videoconferencing the achievement goes up when virtual trips are well-integrated, based on educational standards, and tied tightly to the curriculum. A great event won’t leave any child behind. Learners are attentive, engaged, and absorbed in virtual tours. Learners who may not normally excel in the traditional classroom seem to come to life when exposed to virtual tours. Below is a link to a New York City museum web site that has a special place for educators. The Metropolitan Museum of Art not only offers virtual interactive tours but also links for kids, teens, adults, college learners, educators and visitors with disabilities. There are workshops and events online and print and other resources. Lesson plans, pre-visit guides and curriculum resources are also at your fingertip. Take a tour of the website and enjoy the interactive tutorials as well. Also the 2012 Frieze Art Fair in New York City is another avenue for learners to explore art and find pieces that will be interesting to evaluate. 

In closing, You Tube and virtual tours are excellent tools for this instructor to make sure her learners are exposed to prominent art museums in New York City. These technology tools will also give several options for learners to choose several pieces of art to critique and also use the interactive tools to give them more content rich information on pieces of art. 

References 

Burke, S., Snyder, S., Rager, R.C. (2009).  As Assessment of Faculty Usage of You Tube as a Teaching Resource. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. January 2009, Volume 7 Number 1. Retrieved from http://ijahsp.nova.edu/articles/Vol7Num1/burke.htm 

Murphy, N. and Young, J. (February 2009). Distance learning improves performance in troubled times. Retrieved from http://www.facilitate.com/support/facilitator-toolkit/docs/VirtualLearningImprovesPerformance.pdf Scholastic.com. 

Virtual Field Trips. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/virtual-field-trips 

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and Learning At A Distance: Foundations of Distance Education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson 

The 2012 Frieze Art Fair. New York City. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/for-educators 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/for-educators 

Click here view one of many videos provided by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Click here to watch a You Tube video of the 2012 Frieze Art Fair in New York City. (for viewing purposes only, does not reflect my opinions regarding the art fair)

            

LEARNER  ENGAGEMENT  AND  LEARNER SUCCESS

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