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