Why do you feel the definition of distance learning is always changing and what factors drive that change? Do you think these changes are based on a person’s profession or by how much technical knowledge he/she has?

In our text Distance education is defined as “institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors.” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 32) I feel this statement does complete justice to the experience that I have had with distance learning. “Distance education is a method in education in which the learner is physically separate from the teacher.” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 35) The learner is not sitting in a classroom working with the teacher and in group studies. Learners are researching, studying and examining assignments on their own. They are exchanging and sharing information. The learner enters the online classroom to share and discuss their findings.

Distant learning to me is a method of education, outside of the traditional classroom setting using technology, in which the learner is provided with the resources and materials needed to discover and explore the topics and assignments provided by the instructor on their own, thus providing the learner with the experience of learning to explore, and research a given topic. It is an education that provides the learner with the practice of exploring and researching. It provides the learner with much needed skills that become crucial tools in the individuals’ future success and career.

Distance learning affords individuals who do not have the flexibility to attend a traditional classroom with the opportunity to continue their growth and education in a non-tradition format. The beauty of distance learning is that the individual is forced to become actively involved in their learning. They cannot sit back and wait for another student to answer the question. The learner needs to provide their input and findings which they will share in the online classroom.
When I first began thinking about distance learning my thoughts automatically went to the college level learning. I thought of distance learning as a course or program you partake in to accelerate the completion of your college level course work. After reading the article “Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web” I was reminded of the corporate world. The corporate enterprise has a separate world of learning that takes place often in a distance learning environment. Unlike college level course work there are limited forms of evaluating the success of the distance learning provided. “Evaluation of any kind beyond the smile sheet is not planned, and, often, there is no provision for the measurement of learning outcomes or utilization.” (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 70) As Instructional the article reminded me that we are an important part of elevating the importance of distance learning and the value that it can provide to any organization. The article also reminded me of how crucial it is for designers to become the individuals responsible for the course material development and not the instructors. “The shortage of trained people results in e-learning initiatives built by individuals who lack the expertise to produce effective products. The end result is a lack of sound e-learning instruction. ” (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 71) “There is little evidence that traditional classroom models are all that effective to begin with. Moller points out that while traditional institutions can benefit from using electronic delivery methods, new ways of using technology have to be employed and understood by educators and merely recreating the present classroom experience in a more efficient manner seems wasteful when the status quo is of questionable effectiveness.” (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 67)

It is equally important to try and standardize e-learning practices. There needs to be a consistency in how material and course work is evaluated and produced. The level of quality work needs to be uniform so as to provide the quality education that schools and enterprises are looking for. “Distance education could eventually be the point of leverage to develop and to propagate performance-based quality standards throughout post-secondary education.” (Moller, Foshay, & Huett, 2008, p. 67)

The definition of distant learning is constantly evolving because the needs of our society are constantly changing. In 5 years we will notice again how the definition for distance learning has changed. The world and the needs of colleges, employers and students is constantly changing and as a result the way in which we educate them will also adjust to accommodate their needs.


References
Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: implications for instructional design on the potential of the web. TechTrends , 70-76.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance foundations of distance education (Vol. 5th Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Link to my mindmapping: http://prezi.com/vjqa-kna0w66/copy-of-my-desktop-template/