Integration of Distance Education to Support 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

DE 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

The PC and the Internet have advanced DE instruction by Adding interaction through , 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 Technologies Synchronous Support Technologies Technologies that support instruction that occurs at the same time May be at the same or at different locations Asynchronous Support Technologies Technologies that support time-shifted instruction May be at the same or different locations

Synchronous Technologies Telephone 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 Technologies Video 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 Technologies Internet 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 Technologies Internet 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 Technologies Telephone Technologies Voic provides time-shifted communication Fax allows hard copy transmission of materials

Asynchronous Technologies Allows for teacher-student and student-student communication Provides method for materials exchange through attachments Offer opportunity for thoughtful exchange by all participants

Asynchronous Technologies Electronic 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 Technologies Class 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 Education Teachers 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