DISTANCE EDUCATION

AND
ONLINE LEARNING

DISTANCE AND ONLINE LEARNING: DEFINITION AND ADVANTAGES

Distance education (DE) has evolved through several historical stages, from correspondence
education to print, radio, and TV, to the use of teleconferencing, computers, multimedia, and so on
until online learning, including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). With this, we can deduce
that distance education embraces all instructional delivery modalities where there is a separation
between the teacher and the students. Distance education, therefore, can be pictured out as an
overarching instructional delivery that uses one or combined modalities like broadcast media,
correspondence, and the Internet.
As the general definition, DE uses "non-traditional forms of teaching and learning in which the
students and tutors have little or no face-to-face contact, a separation in space and often also in time"
(Sewart, 2014, p. 1). Because DE embraces contemporary and nontraditional ways of teaching and
learning through the mediation of various media, it has a complex nature and scope.
Kaya and Tan (2014) posited many advantages of distance education. Some of them include the
following:
 Facilitation of mass education;
 Provision of various education options;
 Provision of information from the first source
 Responsibility to the individuals for their learning
 Facilitate the individuals for an independent learning
 Provision of an environment where maximum learning is possible
 Provision of cost-effective education;
 Raising a standard in education program;
 Minimizing the inequality of opportunity
Because DE can break geographical barriers, making education boundaryless, many scholars believe
that DE is cost-effective as compared to the traditional classroom mode of teaching and learning. This
is why DE is gaining popularity in the world. Aside from that, learning in the DE mode allows students
to finish topics and courses at their own pace and in anywhere they want; thus, flexibility of learning is
high. Moreover, through DE, mass education is achieved, as students from various places around the
globe can be taught simultaneously at a given timeframe.
When we talk about "online distance education," on the other hand, we may deal with a broad
spectrum of what can be termed as online distance education. Different terms have been related to
this concept, like web-based learning, virtual learning, Internet-mediated education, and computer-
based education. In 1986, Keegan advanced some salient foundations of DE that include the
following:
• Teachers and students are separated. This case deciphers online DE from traditional face-to-face
instruction.
.• The academic institution can still influence the dynamics and implementation of online DE.
This discriminates against self-study and private tutoring.
• In order to distribute academic content, teachers or facilitators should utilize a computer network.
• Two-way communication is an essential element of online DE through the use of a computer or web-
based technology. In this way, students and teachers can reach each other anytime.
Components, Limitations, and the Future of Distance Education
A DE system must include "all the component processes that makeup distance education including
teaching, learning, communication, design and management" and institutional philosophy (Moore &
Kearsley, 1996).
Their view of distance education indicates that the system would include the following components:
(a) sources of knowledge (i.e., faculty);
(b) course design mechanisms;
(c) course delivery mechanisms;
(d) interactions between students, instructors, and content;
(e) system management; and
(f) the learning environment.
This means that structuring a DE program does not only necessitate the use and provision of
technology.
Taylor and Todd (1995) expounded that there exists a combination of interactive multimedia, where
students can use online resources and do asynchronous conferencing through chats and other
means. This is called the fourth era or "Flexible Learning Model" in DE. In this era, schools optimally
use the power of information and communication technologies to distribute academic content, monitor
students' progress and learning, and enhance student engagement with the teachers and their fellow
students. Moreover, the flexible learning model in DE uses the power of computer-assisted
communication.
With all these advantages, one question remains. What will be the future of distance education and
online learning? The following issues are starting to shape the newest image of distance education.
1. Bringing an off-classroom environment within the online class. This refers to the use of
virtual and augmented reality as a mushrooming feature of distance and online education. And
these features are greatly shadowed by the power of technology. Other OL and DE programs
are now successful in using virtual laboratories through holograms and augmented reality.
Meaning, students can soon-thoroughly and accessibly-feel and explore the off-classroom
environment or other-country experience in their learning.
2. Bringing an in-class environment outside the online class. Because of the quick forward
pace of technology, students can read e-books or attend discussion forums at any time they
want, and anywhere they are.
3. Edutainment. Learning can, now become more inviting and engaging. In order to increase
students' motivation, game-based technologies, interactive multimedia materials, and self-pace
learning assessment tools can invite more students to embrace DE or online education (OE).
4. E-problem. Education may become less people-centered. With the mushrooming number
project-based and self-paced courseware, students can now have the liberty to pick the foc of
their education. Meaning, students can now choose the sequence that they opt to learn aside
from just following the series of courses designed for them.
 Educational Technology and Distance Education

Even if technology can support such an operation of a virtual university, there remain some
problems. However, distance learning is now very active in mission-based instruction and community-
based lifelong education. Therefore, it is hoped that the academia, the government, the engineers,
and the society can work tightly toward the great success of distance education.
theory and technologies play an essential role in DE and OL. They have a significant impact on the
development of ODE systems. A software system will be useless if no one uses it.
Relying on educational theories and experiences for professionals, the design of any distance-
learning system should consider its usability as the first step. A formal model that evaluates students.
interactivity and motivation are proposed in Jun et al. (2002). The model is tested on several Web-
based instruction courses. Besides, five major factors for the development of computer-aided learning
were proposed in Schar et al. (2000). The factors include theories for learning, multimedia didactic,
learning technologies, information models in human-computer interaction, and user acceptance.
These technologies may be overwhelming for teachers like you. Hence, there is a need for a
solid teacher training before using this instructional delivery mode. In this way, teachers can make
technology meaningful for learning. For instance, the use of the Internet can be primarily considered
as a research tool. However, as the teacher mediates, the Internet may have another meaning or
purpose. It can now be utilized as a pathway for communication so that students can sustain their
engagement in an online class and discussion forums.
Innumerable possibilities can be discovered as potential teaching tools for the use of technology.
One example is that it can be used to facilitate the accessibility of cheap and readily downloadable
educational games and programs. However, on the teacher's shoulder is the responsibility to choose
potential materials and use appropriate pedagogies to address students' needs.
The following are some principles of technological use in DE and OL:
1.Technology is more than machines. It should be seen as a tool to achieve a higher degree
of knowledge and better learning.
2. Technology is not just a resource. This means that teachers need to plan and structure
instructional delivery by maximizing technology as a resource, as a platform, as an
assessment tool, and the like.
3. Technology becomes the mediation for distance education. While it is true that DE, in
the current context, tends to be highlighting the use of technology as a bridge to finishing a
course, students need to use technology to build social interaction. In that way, technology can
be potentially used in sharing information, ideas, and resources to build a learning community