Distance Learning – Chapter 8

Distance education is learning that takes place when the instructor and student are not in the same place and they may not even be participating at the same time. In the late 1800s, some of the earlier distance education experiences were emerging. These classes looked at learning from the home and eventually settled on creating classes that could be taken via the US mail. These days, distance educational experiences are tapping into newer technologies. One distance education course might take place via the Internet, but these courses can also take place over a 2-way video feed or there are still opportunities to complete a distance education class as a correspondence course through the mail (read: snail mail). This chapter looks at the current status of distance education, particularly as the distance education experience relates to two-way interactive video and online learning. Strategies for using distance learning in the K-12 setting are also discussed.

The Status Quo of Distance Learning

Distance learning removes the educational experience from the traditional classroom with 4 walls and allows students and instructors to be separated at a distance as well time. Distance learning in the information age also increases dramatically the number of resources available to students and instructors as compared to distance learning prior to the Internet. The most common distance learning experience is now occurring online in the form of a web-based course at the postsecondary level (perhaps your ED 205 class).

There are two classifications for distance learning experiences: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous learning is a form of communication that occurs at the same time (simultaneously) where information is not stored or saved. An example of this an online chat discussion where participants can communicate at the same time (e.g., an Instant Messenger client like AIM, ICQ or MSN Messenger). Online chats and compressed two-way video are some ways to utilize synchronous distance learning. Advantages of this type of delivery are:

• immediate feedback

• reasonable discussion length

• students can take the course from a distance

Disadvantages include:

• no time independence – students must participate at a scheduled time depending on the instructor

• there needs to be a convenient time for all to meet

• depending on method chosen, equipment may not be readily available and can be cost prohibitive (e.g., 2-way compressed video)

• problems with the technology directly impact and impair the classroom experience

Asynchronous learning is a form of communication that occurs at different times. A course discussion forum (e.g., bulletin board) is one example of asynchronous communication. Placing a lecture online (e.g., a webpage or an audio link) is also a form of asynchronous communication. This learning provides general schedules for students with set deadlines, but the students can interact and participate when it fits into his/her schedule. This can be especially advantageous to students who are unable to make a class scheduled for regular weekly or daily sessions. Advantages of asynchronous learning include:

• can be accessed twenty-four hours a day on the student’s schedule and not the instructor’s.

• self paced – a lecture can be read slowly or quickly

• time for reflection, which tends to increase the quality of class discussions

• appropriate for multiple time zones

Disadvantages include:

• lack of immediate feedback

• time for discussion is long (several days) and often requires that the student “check in” more than once to complete the weekly session

• information overload – multiple messages can be posted, which increase the amount of reading for the student and can far exceed the discussion that can occur in a traditional class with time limits (Collins & Berge, 1997).

Distance Learning in K-12

Interactive Two-way Video

Another common form of distance learning occurs via interactive television. This is distance learning that happens when two locations are connected by compressed video (e.g., connecting two classrooms together). This type of distance learning can help two parties at a distance experience a learning environment that is similar to a traditional classroom. The learning occurs synchronously and the teacher and students should be able to view and hear each other simultaneously.

The interactive television learning opportunities can be used in a variety of ways. This technology can help for professional development of teachers who could take a graduate class even if they live far from a university. If enough teachers from a district want to take the same class, a deal can be worked out so that the university will offer the course via interactive television. A district could also hire a person to conduct staff development trainings and offer the training via interactive television, which saves on travel time and the extra expenses associated with bringing in an external speaker.

Probably the biggest benefit to students is the ability to take a class offered at another school in the same district or in another district without leaving the home school. This can be of great benefit to students who are in a school that cannot justify hiring an instructor to teach 1 particular course (e.g., an advanced level mathematics course) or just a few students, but who have a need for a specialized class.

A whole classroom can also benefit from interactive television. A teacher could sign up a class to take a virtual fieldtrip. Some museums, zoos, and other scientists offer 2-way interactive virtual field trips to classrooms around the country. A teacher could sign up and the host site might send out a packet to the teacher, which will allow the students to participate in mini experiments and activities related to the instruction being provided via interactive video. Two Way Interactive Connections in Education (TWICE) is Michigan's organization for videoconferencing in K-12 education (http://www.twice.cc/fieldtrips.html) and is worth perusing to see what’s currently available with regard to these field trips.

Interactive video is sometimes used to complete organized projects. For example, the National Education Association sponsors a program called “Read Across America” and this program is all about getting students reading. The program is a matching service to connect schools together so that students in one classroom can connect and interact with students in another classroom. The students in one class read to the students in another class and then listen as the other group of students reads. The literature chosen is up to the students, but they often select a book about the community in which they live or even an original story that they wrote. There are many such projects available including these collaborative-type projects as well as competitions and debates and many more options. The TWICE website above can point you to some of these projects. You might also find other programs and even international programs from the SBC Knowledge Network Explorer (http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/vidco-nf/directory.cfm).

Interactive Television Equipment

Teachers

Probably the most common form of distance learning that occurs in K-12 educational settings is for teachers who are continuing their professional development and do so online (e.g., college courses, staff development trainings, etc.). As teachers’ personal and professional lives become busier, a viable solution to professional development has emerged in distance education. In states such as Michigan, teachers are required to complete two semester classes every five years to renew their teaching certificate. Completing online courses rather than going to a traditional classroom, can fulfill this requirement and alleviate a scheduling problem and save enormous time in travel each way.

Distance Learning and K-12 Students

Very few K-12 schools will offer complete distance learning opportunities to students; however, many schools can offer some distance learning experiences. Later in this chapter, many of the components of an online course will be discussed. Any of these components could be used as a supplement in a traditional class.

That being said, there are opportunities for any high schools in Michigan to provide distance learning classes in the form of online classes. The State of Michigan has an organization that is dedicated to providing distance learning to Michigan high school students called Michigan Virtual High School (www.mivhs.com). MVHS offers school districts some of the following benefits (as described on their website):

•They provide course options that can be recommended for students who are struggling with an in-seat course, have a scheduling conflict or have an interest in a subject not otherwise offered at a school. MVHS also gives students online tools they can use on their own (or in class) to practice for MEAP, ACT, SAT, PSAT and AP exams. 

•MVHS works in partnership with schools and teachers. They provide online learning options that supplement, not replace, what is currently being offered at the school.

•They develop courses in partnership with Michigan teachers that meet the Michigan Curriculum Framework and national standards. They also license courses and/or content from high-quality providers like Class.com and Apex Learning. All our courses meet state and/or national standards. 

•They expand a curriculum, save money and resources, improve technology skills of staff and students, help students do their best on MEAP and other high-stakes exams, and show the community your commitment to providing up-to-date learning options. A school can also have greater flexibility/more solutions to accommodate individual students’ scheduling and learning needs. 

And, the following paragraph describes what a student does when he or she “goes to class” in one of these online courses:

The student receives an ID, password, and course name and format for his or her class from the on-site mentor teacher. Students go to the log in page and click on the appropriate course to reach their login area. Students interact with their online teacher on a regular basis. Course content is delivered through text, video, graphics and other Internet resources, combined with activities, projects and lessons the student may do off-line. Some courses may include group projects as well as independent work and performances. Teachers and students may interact via e-mail, message boards, chat rooms, instant messaging, fax, telephone and/or regular mail. Tests are only one variety of learning assessments that are built into courses to ensure that students master course content. (source: http://www.mivhs.com)

Another benefit of distance learning is the availability to home schooled students. Using learning portals via the Internet can allow students to access information on their time, again freeing up schedules. This also benefits students who choose to work at a different pace than the “class” and can submit materials in advance of deadlines. This also can help a homebound student due to illness. Work can be assigned, again via a web page or learning portal, and class work could be submitted via email.

Components Of An Online Course

Even if a fully online course is out of the question for a particular classroom, there are components of online learning that can stand-alone or that can supplement a traditional classroom. Some common components of an online class include the following:

Lecture: Just like a traditional class, an online class will often have a lecture component, which provides the mechanism for dispensing large quantities of information. The lecture can be presented in many different formats. For example, a lecture could be presented in the form of a webpage or series of webpages that contain text, graphics, and other media. A lecture could also be presented in video or audio format. These media options require special software (e.g., QuickTime, RealAudio, Microsoft Media Player) and are much more difficult to produce and create than the normal webpage. Correcting errors in audio and/or video is also a huge chore compared to correcting an error in a text document.

Email: The vast majority of people have used email and this is one tool that is used in just about any online class. Email is one way for students and teachers to communicate individually (read: only the individuals participating in the exchange will initially see the content), but asynchronously. Some instructors might even have students turn in assignments via email as an attachment. Emails can be sorted into folder for easy organization and safe keeping.

Discussion Board: Probably the most common form of group discussion online is a discussion board. This component provides students and teachers with the means of communicating asynchronously; though, this tool can also be used synchronously with some success. The idea behind a discussion board is that a teacher can start a topic to which the students can respond to the teacher’s message or to another student’s response. Responses remain on the message board even if the student logs-off so that a student arriving at another time can read through the complete discussion up to that point to get caught up. This student can then add to the discussion. These type of discussions tend to have more thought and reflection provided than a spur-of-the-moment discussion in a traditional classroom. These discussions also present the opportunity for every student to participate as opposed to the few who typically participate in an oral discussion. While this form of discussion is great in a distance learning environment, a teacher could also use this component in a computer lab with a live class. An added benefit is that this forces students to work on their keyboarding and writing skills. Plus, the teacher will then have a written record of the discussion that took place.

Live Chat: A less common tool, but one that is sometimes used is a live chat. This component is similar to an Instant Messenger in that a live chat brings the class together online at the same time, though they may be at a distance. A continuous and live discussion takes place, which means that any failure in technology will affect the user who experiences the failure and they could miss the opportunity to participate. The advantage to this conversation is that everyone is participating in a discussion at the same time and the requirements for that online component are met more quickly than an asynchronous discussion that can be drawn out over many days. A disadvantage is that some people type too slowly to be effective communicators in a live chat – a topic can change before they complete their response to the previous topic. With a larger class, these discussions can be very difficult to follow.

Online resources: The Internet is full of information. Rather than spending valuable time reinventing the wheel, most teachers would be wise to do a quick search (see Chapter 7) to see if resources already exist in an electronic format that are suitable for the lesson in question. Many online classes will provide lecture material and will also provide external links to more information. Some online classes might rely completely on external information for a particular unit or lesson. As long as the teacher can bring it all together effectively the external information can be very valuable and it would be foolish to not tap into the vast array of resources just waiting to be used. Teachers who want to use these external resources, but are not going to create an online class might explore a Webquest as one method of using the Internet in teaching.

And, while these are some of the key components in an online class, this list is far from being an exhaustive list. Just like traditional classes have differences, so too do online classes. Each instructor may be able to customize his/her class to fit the individual needs of a particular class or topic. The sky is the limit.

Necessary requirements

The equipment necessary to implement a distance education program at a school depends on the type of distance education that will take place. Based on the way technology already permeates schools, assuming that computers will be involved in a distance education process is not a stretch. If students are going to take classes over the web (either synchronous or asynchronous), a computer with Internet access will be the main piece of hardware necessary.

A more traditional distance education course might require a school to have equipment to conduct a two-way video experience using compressed video (e.g., cameras, television monitors, microphones, etc.). This equipment can be quite costly. In some cases, a dedicated room may be necessary for this endeavor. Cameras, televisions, video recorders, microphones, computerized control centers and the cabling necessary to “hook up” with the other school(s) will be necessary.

These are just two of the distance education scenarios that are still common, but this is not an exhaustive list. Other distance education courses will have their own requirements. For example, a correspondence course can usually be completely by using the mail – snail mail. But, the online courses are easily the fastest growing distance education experience available and currently dwarfs all other formats.

Conclusion

Clearly, distance education has come a long way since the first correspondence courses of the 1830s. Today, teachers and students participate in distance education by using computers and the Internet to complete work and submit homework without the need to meet in a regular classroom. K-12 education has opportunities for distance education, especially as students get in to high school, but components of an online class can be added to just about any classroom. As technology continues to advance, emerging technologies may make distance education available to more people. The future of distance education is as boundless as technology itself.