Reviews: Distance Learning and the Future Foundations of Distance Learning
Min Pan
RE: Foundations of Distance Learning
You brought up several good points. “The 21st century students have grown up using technology and it’s the norm to use social media to connect.” This is so true of today’s students. I know about college students relatively well and secondary school kids to a certain degree. I can imagine youngsters in elementary schools are proficient with technology tools much more than I would expect. You went on saying:” It’s essential that faculty and educational institutions accept this paradigm.” I cannot agree more with you on this. The educators and the management personnel of schools must willingly and readily adopt and adapt to social changes which lead and influence changes in educational practices. I would like to add that as educators, especially in the DE field, we constantly need to update ourselves with new technologies, including learning the tools that our students use so that we can remain relevant and effective in our teaching.
Indeed, one major benefit of distance learning is the flexibility in space and time for learning to occur, which helps increase access to education for many who otherwise cannot pursue formal education. You gave examples of countries where distance education has become a viable alternative to traditional instruction or is about to take off the ground and mentioned cost of technology. We have all heard the phrase “digital divide”. The haves and have-nots regions and countries certainly face different types of challenges in the utilization of technology in schools.
Thank you for the good post!
Min
Margarete Draver
RE: Foundations of Distance Learning
Thanks Min for your thoughtful response.
RE: Foundations of Distance Learning
You brought up several good points. “The 21st century students have grown up using technology and it’s the norm to use social media to connect.” This is so true of today’s students. I know about college students relatively well and secondary school kids to a certain degree. I can imagine youngsters in elementary schools are proficient with technology tools much more than I would expect. You went on saying:” It’s essential that faculty and educational institutions accept this paradigm.” I cannot agree more with you on this. The educators and the management personnel of schools must willingly and readily adopt and adapt to social changes which lead and influence changes in educational practices. I would like to add that as educators, especially in the DE field, we constantly need to update ourselves with new technologies, including learning the tools that our students use so that we can remain relevant and effective in our teaching.
Indeed, one major benefit of distance learning is the flexibility in space and time for learning to occur, which helps increase access to education for many who otherwise cannot pursue formal education. You gave examples of countries where distance education has become a viable alternative to traditional instruction or is about to take off the ground and mentioned cost of technology. We have all heard the phrase “digital divide”. The haves and have-nots regions and countries certainly face different types of challenges in the utilization of technology in schools.
Thank you for the good post!
Min
Margarete Draver
RE: Foundations of Distance Learning
Thanks Min for your thoughtful response.