Integration of Integration of Distance Education to Distance Education to
Support LearningSupport Learning
Distance Education• The delivery of instruction to students
who are separated from their teacher by time and/or location• The teacher may be at one site and students at
other sites• Or all may be on the same site but at different
times
Distance Education• Technology bridges the time/location gap• DE originally developed to deliver
instruction to remote, rural locations• Today, DE delivers instruction at places
and times convenient to learners
• DE impacts teachers by•Offering flexible licensing renewal
and/or professional development•Changing the parameters of
instruction •No longer bounded by classroom walls
Distance Education
Distance EducationDE has impacted education by
• Changing course offerings in higher education• Encouraging creation of virtual high schools in
many states• Supporting district-wide courses in virtual
classrooms• Providing instruction to homebound students
Started as correspondence courses •Readings and assignments were sent via mail
•Tests were proctored locally•Learning was independent and isolated
Distance Education
• Radio and television were added to enrich DE instruction
• Telephones added interaction between instructor and students
• Phone bridges added student-to-student interaction as well
Distance Education
Distance Education
• The PC and the Internet have advanced DE instruction by• Adding interaction through email, conferences,
and chats• Offering live and recorded streaming audio and
video• Including multimedia presentations in courses
Distance Education
• Adaptation of distance education methods and technology for use in traditional classrooms
• Enhances classroom instruction by• Allowing master teachers or guests to join
classes via DE• Facilitating team teaching and cooperative
learning
Alternative Delivery
Designing DE Instruction• Design adjustments are needed for DE• These include:
•A strategic instructional design that fully articulates the course components and required technologies
•A well articulated lesson plan that anticipates and responds to contingencies
Designing DE Instruction• Extended preparation of students for
participating in a distance environment• Well-planned and articulated feedback
systems• Contingency plans for curriculum and
technical problems• Alternative, well defined and tested
evaluation processes
DE Support TechnologiesSynchronous Support Technologies• Technologies that support instruction that occurs
at the same time• May be at the same or at different locationsAsynchronous Support Technologies• Technologies that support time-shifted instruction• May be at the same or different locations
Synchronous TechnologiesTelephone Technologies
• Speakerphones and audio conferencing let a small group in one location communicate with others
• Conference Calls allow people in multiple locations to communicate
• Phone bridges let large groups communicate by calling into a single number
Synchronous TechnologiesVideo Conferencing
• Compressed video conferencing system lets rooms of people interact via broadband phone lines
• PC compressed video conferencing equipment and software allows individuals to participate together at lower quality
• District-wide systems connect students in schools in interactive video classrooms
Synchronous TechnologiesInternet Chat
• Private chat rooms can be created so invited students can interact with each other
• Chats may be text only or may include audio, visual, and video components
• Chats offer the potential to involve everyone in high quality, thoughtful interaction
Synchronous TechnologiesInternet Classroom
• Internet meeting software is used to create a virtual Internet classroom
• Classes engage in discussion, materials exchange, presentations, and testing
• Development time for creating an Internet class is significant • Outcomes in terms of flexibility and innovation
are worth the time
Asynchronous TechnologiesTelephone Technologies
• Voicemail provides time-shifted communication
• Fax allows hard copy transmission of materials
Asynchronous TechnologiesEmail
• Allows for teacher-student and student-student communication
• Provides method for materials exchange through attachments
• Offer opportunity for thoughtful exchange by all participants
Asynchronous TechnologiesElectronic Conferencing
• Virtual bulletin boards that provide one-to-many communication support discussion
• Threads can be started by the teacher – Can be an assignment or can be generated by students in a
virtual study group• Social learning and idea exchange is supported by
this technology
Asynchronous TechnologiesClass Web Sites
• Offer distance students a single virtual location – All course information, tools, and materials
• An alternative delivery enhancement to traditional courses
• Makes the course accessible at a time and place convenient to students
Issues in Distance EducationTeachers and/or students may not be ready for• New roles and responsibilities• New technologies• New methods and materials
• Teachers may need to adjust to increased time demands for planning and management
Issues in Distance Education• Technical support necessary but often not
sufficiently anticipated or funded• Instructional support typical of a
traditional setting may be less or absent in DE
Allyn and Bacon 2005
New Copyright Issues•The TEACH Act somewhat clarifies
what can be copied •Often more restrictive than the Fair
Use provisions •A necessary first step in copyright
clarification for DE
Issues in Distance Education
Allyn and Bacon 2005
DE has and is changing education by•Answering new demands on
schools •Providing a variety of courses•Effectively teaching and learning
outside defined physical spaces•Reinventing the idea of a
classroom
Issues in Distance Education