Reflections on Assignment 01 - Technology to address DE concern

During my research for this assignment, I confirmed what I have learned about the definition of DE.  DE is a multidimensional concept and includes the concept of technologies. It bridges more than the geographical gap between the educational institute and the student. Further, the term “distance education” incorporates the concepts of “distance learning” and “distance teaching”.   It is a pedagogy different than that of the classroom and it has a long history. DE’s history includes a distinctive philosophy of open access to learning and it has a distinctive organisational form.

The basic idea of DE is simple enough: Teachers and students are in different places for all or most of the time that they teach and learn.  They are therefore dependent on some form of communications technology. Holmberg (2005) talks about mediated teaching and learning. Different technologies, different teaching techniques and different types of student’s means that different ways must be established to manage and deliver these programmes. There is then a duty on teachers to make themselves aware of the different design and messaging techniques that are special to DE and there is a reciprocal duty on learners to enable themselves to effectively study online. DE is based on learner centeredness and the teacher responds to and supports learners; however the student is responsible for their own learning.

One of the main differences in today’s DE, as opposed to the second generation correspondence education, (apart from the upgrade of technologies), is that both delivery and responses are in real time and it is a more cost effective method of study meant to reach a larger target audience than its predecessors.  However, learners of today face an even greater hurdle, that of being in an isolated environment thereby making learning a much lonelier place. 

Through my experience thus far, I have to agree that through technology, the current distance learning environment allows for both synchronous and asynchronous discussions thereby creating an enabling environment where there is the potential for not only promoting interaction, but delivering high quality content subject to the economies of scale.  Furthermore, through using the different technologies that this course has to offer I can see that through collaborative learning communities (like blogs and social networking sites) a sense of community is established to sustain the educational experience over time. Also, an asynchronous online learning environment provides flexibility and more time for reflection and thereby ensuring that effective learning takes place.  Thus far in this OMDE 603 course, I have experienced effective learning through the usage of some of these technologies.  Very effective!

References

Holmberg, B. (2005). Concepts and terminology - Student bodies. The evolution, principles, and practice of distance education. Oldenburg, Germany: BIS-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg (pp. 9-11).

Koçak-Usluel, Y., & Mazman, S. G. (2009). Adoption of Web 2.0 tools in distance education. International Journal of Human Sciences, 6(2). Retrieved from http://www.insanbilimleri.com/en

Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2012). Distance education: A systems view of online learning (Chapter 1, pp. 1-22). USA: Wadsworth-Cengage Learning. [eReserves].