In distance learning, students must work through lessons without the benefit of a teacher present. Although students are prepared from the beginning to work in a traditional classroom setting, they do not have that preparation for distance learning. A distance educator has the responsibility of not just teaching the content but also preparing the student for the distance environment.
In the distance environment, the teacher is not able to give nonverbal feedback such as reactions and body language as the students work. The teacher is unable to evaluate student progress as the student works through something; he or she must keep up some form of regular communication to assess learning. Adequate and frequent feedback is key. This is one of the many added challenges for distance educators. The teacher should seek to use new and creative lessons to remedy this problem.
Distance education is a definite new asset to the education system. It provides opportunities for all sorts of varieties of education that would otherwise be inaccessible to students. There are constant improvements and innovations to distance education and students and teachers alike are embracing these. As these improvements are made, new ‘problems’ will make themselves visible. However, distance education is becoming an increasingly more important part of higher education.
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2 comments:
Tonya: I answered this blog but it never posted... ummmm.... don't know why. anywhoooo...
As stated previously..
Distance Learning is a great tool for students who are independent and self learners. For students who need extra encouragement or a more one-on-one learning style it will present some problems. Although there are still problems and issues with this form of teaching, I am confident that over the next few years, any issues will be resolved. The teacher as a facilator is eventually where we are going. This is a great first step. Guiding someone through their learning is an exciting option to me. I do not, however, seeing it work on the lower grades. I think it will work well from middle school to college.
In an education class I once took, my professor drilled it in our heads that it is vital that we provide immediate feedback to our students. How are they to improve or correct what they are learning if we don't tell them that they are right or wrong? I have tried to follow that advice in my own teaching, and it absolutely does make a difference. In distance learning, it is an educators responsibility to stay on top of information recieved from their students, especially when the traditional classroom has been removed and their is no, or not as much, face-to-face communication.
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