Comparison of the Benefits of Distance Education
Michael Simonson (2008)
defines distance education as a type of formal education that occurs when
resources, students, and teachers are separated by geography and occasionally
by time. Simonson believes there is a need to evolve distance education into the
next generation because not only has distance education been around for
centuries, but also “It doesn’t take a soothsayer to look into the future and
say, distance education is going to increase dramatically in the next few
years, in the next few decades (Simonson, 2008)”. Simonson (2008) also believes
that distance education is starting to be “expected and respected.”
Moller, Forshay, and
Huett (2008) believe that colleges perceive distance education as an
opportunity to sustain student enrollment. However, Moller, Forshay, and Huett
(2008) also state that K-12 online programs lack the quality to be equivalent
to that of a traditional K-12 program. Moller, Forshay, and Huett seem to agree
with Simonson regarding the inevitability of distance education becoming more
popular; however, Moller, Forshay, and Huett seem to believe that it may ultimately
not be more beneficial for students than traditional education.
I agree with Moller, Forshay, and Huett regarding their viewpoint of distance education. I believe the value of an education can be diminished more easily through distance education because many students are not honest. In a traditional classroom, teachers can monitor students. That element in relinquished in distance education. However, the students who maintain a level of respect and honesty have the opportunity to benefit equally from distance education.
I agree with Moller, Forshay, and Huett regarding their viewpoint of distance education. I believe the value of an education can be diminished more easily through distance education because many students are not honest. In a traditional classroom, teachers can monitor students. That element in relinquished in distance education. However, the students who maintain a level of respect and honesty have the opportunity to benefit equally from distance education.
References
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Coleman,
C. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications
for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking
Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 52(5), 63-67.
doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0199-9
Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of
Distance Education. Baltimore, MD: Simonson, Michael.
Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008).
The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on
the Potential of the Web. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 52(4), 66-70.
doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0179-0
John,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic due to our current involvement in online education. I agree with the point that institutions are implementing more and more online courses to sustain student enrollment. My "brick and mortar" college is facing the same challenges, losing students to online universities. Do you think it is the faculty's responsibility to keep students honest, or should this be a college-wide responsibility?
Best,
Marc
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMarc,
ReplyDeleteI believe that online courses should require a monitored final exam. This could be conducted by paid test facilitators, in a similar fashion to summer ACT/SAT courses for high school students. This would help protect accreditation of universities as they expand into the practice of distance education.
Nice post. Distance education is effective.
ReplyDeleteHello John,
ReplyDeleteI do not know much about K-12 online course development. I am surprised that 'monitoring' is not available on the back end of the courses. I think I thought that the younger the student the more supervision would be required and the stricter the rrequirements for interaction and attendance. If my at my job they can 'know' what webpages I am on and how many keystrokes I have used then I am pretty sure it could be the same for the courses.
The question of honesty is one that may never be solved. This si true in all types of classrooms. I am not sure that I agree that this lack of honesty will keep the distance learning experience from being equal to face to face. Those students that are dishonest with themselves are the same in regular classrooms.
ReplyDeleteDebbie Stripling
I liked to hear you talk about the topic. Yours is the first one I have viewed that actually has you primarily. You are providing the information about your topic with your footage of actual students that encounter the issues you are addressing. I think this is what the assignment is supposed to have been. You talking about what you have learned, your topic and how it applies to what we learned in this course, and it works. Thank you for presenting a video that is not all about the fancy technology tools and more about the content. I was not sure what the video was supposed to be, so mine is not anything like yours.
ReplyDelete