ADTED 470 Intro to DE #1

This is a brief write up on the scope of distance education, the types and collaborative structure.

When we talk about Distance Education (or DE in short) you might think of Correspondence or Independent Study. That was how it began. A practical definition of DE can be found as follows (Moore and Kearsley, 2005):

 

Distance education is planned learning that normally occurs in a different place from teaching, requiring special course design and instruction techniques, communication through various technologies, and special organizational and administrative arrangements.

 

In this generation, there is prevalent use of technology in the classroom to enhance learning. With this context, teaching in the classroom is complemented by technology but this is not the same as teaching that is dependent on technology (Moore and Kearsley, 2005).  This differentiation should help to clarify some aspects of DE.

 

Consider distance education as a system that comprises these subsystems:

• Sources of knowledge
• Course design
• Delivery of learning materials
• Teacher-student interaction via technologies
• Learners in their learning environments
• Management and administration

The decision on the source of knowledge that is to be taught - this would be provided by a single or dual mode institution such as a university, college or school.

 

Designing of the course, this would require instructional designers to work with content experts to structure the material so that learning is made simple.

 

A subsystem would be required for the delivery of courses to the learners, example as in the use of a Learning Management System (LMS).

 

Teacher interaction with learners as they use the materials to create knowledge - the learning environment, these are also components of DE.

 

Last but not least, the management and administration of resources is important and critical to ensure that the total system is sustainable and production quality high.   

 

The methods and issues of DE can only be understood from the historical background. DE evolved through five historical generations, from correspondence study (CE) being the first to computer and internet-based virtual classes today. According to Moore and Kearsley, correspondence study began in the 1880s with the invention of cheap and reliable postal services in the United States. CE was also called “home study” by the early for-profit schools and “independent study” by the universities.

 

Following CE was teaching to masses via broadcast radio in the 1920s and TV in the 1930s. The third generation was characterized by a new way of organizing education (systems approach) and the concept of Open Universities was birthed with credits to a former US naval officer, Charles Wedemeyer.

 

Next in the 1980s, courses were offered with real-time group interaction by way of audio and video conferencing and delivered by telephone, satellite, cable and computer networks.

 

The scope of DE includes home study, independent study for higher education, Open University, interactive television, and internet online learning.

 

Some DE agencies available in or to Singapore are:

• K-12 International Academy for the Americas/Virginia, Europe/Switzerland, Middle East/Dubai, Asia/Singapore and other countries
• The Learning Institute
• Open University at Singapore Institute of Management which started in 1992 with the pioneer Open University United Kingdom, OU Hong Kong in 1997 and Canada’s leading distance education and online university - Athabasca University, in 2007

 [Spr'12 with Dr. Kay Shattuck, who is also Director of Research at Quality Matters]