The last of the three articles focusing on distance education in grades k-12 intrigued me, as this academic population is whom I currently serve. In this particular article, the authors overview distance learning/virtual schools by looking at the learning population. The rationale for choosing virtual schooling defines the manner in which the student may partake in this particular learning process. Elements such as age, independence, mental capabilities, and behavioral patterns. The focus of the virtual school maintaining the same standards as the traditional schools also raise concerns as to how it can be achieved. Although their research concludes that further investigations must be made in this area, the continuous investigations of distance education as a whole must as well. Factors such as influences, mindsets, e-learning products, curriculums, etc. must be monitored and altered to enhance the vision of a beneficial distance education program.
I think that the authors have valid concerns that are backed by supporting documentation. Because distance education has recently become increasingly accepted, the importance of determining its effectiveness is crucial to defining our educational systems. Because we seek to provide the best possible education to students, this modern method of learning must be examined.
References
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008a, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=876aeeee-bd97-45ae-a30a-8aabf8cd228b%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=106
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008b, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?sid=d6111669-b303-4c29-9eee-1bc9128ef00e%40sessionmgr110&vid=3&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=34729472
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web ( Part 3: Higher Education). Tech Trends, 52(5), 63-67. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2e98b130-62bf-4ece-aa84-ba9755f92473%40sessionmgr110&vid=6&hid=123
Temeka,
ReplyDeleteDo you believe that the participation of a certain type of students is a variable to the effectiveness of distance education? Does computer mediated instruction facilitates a more comfortable medium for these students allowing them to better communicate, interact and collaborate? Would these students have similar performances in traditional learning settings?
Tameka,
ReplyDeleteDo you think F2F is more effective than distance learning? What ages do you think is suitable for a virtual school attendence?
P. LaPollo's comments on Temeka's Module 1 post.
ReplyDeleteTemeka,
A big buzzword has recently swept through k-12 education, led by Carol Ann Tomlinson - "differentiation." How do you see these type strategies fitting into the virtual school model? How about the higher education model, do you see differentiation in place, should it be? How do gifted learners fit into distance learning?
Thanks for sharing!
Bianca,
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that one student type should be a variable for the effectiveness of distance education. I do believe that all student learning types should be the focus in creating an effective distance learning environment. I do believe that computer mediated instruction facilitates a more comfortable medium for allowing students to communicate and collaborate. Too often students fear criticism from their peers. This type of medium will allow them to be expressive without feeling the pressures to respond in the manner that someone wants them to. I believe that the manner in which the student is successful depends on the student's acceptance of distance learning.
jshives11,
ReplyDeleteI do not think that F2F is more effective than distance learning or vice versa. I believe that the student's ability to become an independent learner will dictate whether distance learning is suitable for that student. To be successful in distance learning a student must maintain adequate knowledge of navigating a computer system. The student must also understand how to use a variety of resources to obtain the necessary learning requirements for the topic. Additionally, the student must maintain adequate communication skills i.e. verbalizing through text. As long as a student has these characteristics, I believe that they can partake in virtual schooling.
P. LaPollo,
ReplyDeleteDifferentiation has its place in the virtual classroom. Differentiation should exist in all aspects of learning. In the virtual classroom differentiation can be achieved by presenting various students with different learning applications which are suitable to their learning style. Differentiation can also be achieved by allowing students to express their understanding by choosing their own creative method. Virtual schooling is not limited to the computer, it only is required as a response system. I think differentiation should be practiced with all levels in education. Gifted students are capable of looking at information in a more in-depth view than many. These learners are often self-driven. Virtual schooling for gifted students can be offered as a method of enhancement, allowing them to move at their own pace.