EDUC 8842 Blog 1:
Module 1
The Prompt:
After reading the
three articles by Moller, Huett, Foshay and Coleman, and listening to the
Simonson video programs, compare and contrast the reasons these authors believe
there is a need to evolve distance education to the next generation. Do you
agree with their positions? Why or why not?
The
Response:
The need to understand distance
education, be the distance three feet in a classroom or 1000’s of miles away in
another country, is that the goal remains student learning. The goal is the same but the pathways are
different. This is the stepping off
point for Simonson (2000, n.d.) when he discusses equivalency theory. My parents always emphasized the concept when
getting gifts for my sisters: the same but different. Technology allows this idea to flourish, very
different approach to conveyance but the same concepts and information to
become part of the learners’ repertoire (Simonson, 1997).
The capability of the technology
needs to be balanced by instructional design, using the concepts of Simonson’s (2000)
equivalency, but needs adaptation to a diverse set of students and individual
need (Huett, Moller, Foshay, & Coleman, 2008). Here’s the rub,
making it relevant for multiple learning styles, often those who may be
struggling in the traditional schools need something different than what they
had, or they would have been successful in brick and mortar schools.
Both Simonson (2000; 1997) and Huett, et al, (2008) embrace the need for grasping the potential with technology and distance learning applications. Where they differ seems to be on the application. The idea of stylizing the information for the needs of the learner (Huett, Moller, Foshay, et al., 2008) is a focus while realizing the need to adapt the lesson to the medium (M. Simonson, 2000) cannot be left out of the consideration either.
The best solution should
incorporate the best of both approaches to ensure the learner is actually
learning. As teachers, we need to
remember the purpose for the applications. Not using technology for the sake of using it,
but using it in line with the outcome sought.
If we forget the learners, we will doom a generation in the increasingly
competitive world in which we live (Huett, Moller, & Forshay, 2008; Simonson, 1997).
References:
Huett, J., Moller, L., & Forshay, W. R. (2008). The
Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the
Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve
Learning, The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for
Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web., 52(3), 70-75.
doi:Article
Huett, J., Moller, L., &
Foshay, W. R. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for
Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking
Research & Practice to Improve Learning, The Evolution of Distance
Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web., 52(4),
66-70. doi:Article
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W.
R., & Coleman, C. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications
for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking
Research & Practice to Improve Learning, The Evolution of Distance
Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web., 52(5),
63-67. doi:Article
Simonson, M. (1997). Evaluation
teaching and learning at a distance. New Directions for Teaching &
Learning, (71), 87. doi:Article
Simonson, M. (2000). Making
Decisions: The Use of Electronic Technology in Online Classrooms. New
Directions for Teaching & Learning, (84), 29. doi:Article
Simonson, M. (n.d.). Equivalency
Theory. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5260644&Survey=1&47=6207849&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Simonson, M. (n.d.). Distance
Education: The Next Generation. Retrieved from
http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5260644&Survey=1&47=6207849&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
N J
Sparling
