In trying to wrap my head around all the definitions for various modes of learning, and distance education, I used Bubbl.us to create a diagram.
What I found in making the diagram was that many of the words were so interwoven in their meanings, and often used interchangeably that my bubble diagram somewhat resembled the web that poor spider created when they gave him a few drops caffeine.
Maybe if I'd had a few more cups of coffee it would have all been a bit clearer in my diagram.
In my searching about on the Web for all the definitions and ponderings on all things Distance Education is that it is something that has been about for quite some time, and from it's lowly beginnings in the 'Correspondence Courses' to the most technological cutting edge deliveries with all the flash and bang of todays most modern devices, Distance Education is simply the delivery of instruction to learners who are separated by distance which does not allow face-to-face interaction with each other or with their instructors in real time. Distance Education is the broad category with covers a variety of processes of this delivery.
When discussing Distance Education, invariably one comes across the term Transactional Distance, which is a term coined by Michael G. Moore to refer to more of a cognitive distance than a distance in time and space, his definition is “a psychological and communication space to be crossed, a space of potential misunderstanding between the inputs of instructor and those of the learner.” This idea is something all of us who are experienced netizens realize. It is so easy for ideas and interaction to be misunderstood when communication occurs from a distance.
Something else that occurs frequently now, and can prove a hindrance to effective Distance Education is something called Transactional Immediacy. This occurs more often now than in the early days of Distance Education because with the advent of social networks, mobile devices, twitters, etc., where feedback is rarely more than one click away, students today expect feedback immediately. Whether it be an email from their professors, or comments on their twits, or blogs, they look for that instant response. Not getting it can prove frustrating and possibly overwhelming when they find, themselves pressured to respond immediately to a preponderance of ideas, opinions, expressions, and happenings within the networks to which they belong.
Distance Learning is the system, mode, or process through which instruction is delivered to learners for Distance Education. To narrow that down a bit more, we can say that Online Learning is the dissemination of instructional material via the World Wide Web, and specifically not through a local network, or other type of distance education tool such as instruction given through compressed video, cable, or satellite delivery. This also includes virtual learning environments such as Second-Life. High Definition interactive video is also another category of online learning, along with webinars. Anything that utilizes data to carry content is online learning. Many times Online Learning is used interchangeably with E-Learning, but e-learning would be a broader definition as it refers to any instructional process that is delivered or supported through some electronic means to students. The use of networks, computers, electronic devices, e-learning applications and tools, computer based training, virtual classrooms or learning environments to deliver instruction. Instruction may be via the World Wide Web, DVD's, Teleconferencing, videos, podcasts, cd-roms, etc.
Web-based Learning is again a smaller category of Online Learning and E-Learning in that is instruction specifically delivered and viewed via a web browser. Any instructional material that would be delivered through any web browser such as IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, etc., including the content on dvds or cds that would be viewed through a browser.
Many of the definitions referred more to philosophies of education both in traditional face-to-face environments as well as digitally or electronically delivered distance education environments. Flexible Learning, for instance, is all about the learners choice on when, where, and how instruction is received. It can employ online tools such as virtual learning enviroments, learning management systems, chat, discussion boards, or be blended with traditional face-to-face instruction. It is developed with the philosophy that individually directed learning occurs when the educational content is delivered in a way that allows the student to progress at their own pace and make their own decisions about their own interests.
Open Learning is similar in that it is learning that is driven by the students individual interests and pace. Learning occurs at the students own independent pace but is guided to success by the instructors. Distributed Learning is very close to that of Distance Education and is sometimes used interchangeably. However, it relates more to the Distributed Resources, or the fact that learning resources, the students, and instructors exist in a non-centralized location, and interaction and learning can occur at an individuals independent pace. Learning resources must be fully accessible, flexible, and reusable. The Distributed Model can work in many learning environments including the traditional classroom, online classroom, and hybrid learning environments.
When we talk about Distance Learning and instruction, we have to talk about tradition face-to-face instruction in contrast as well as Hybrid Learning which is the combination of traditional face-to-face instruction with online components as a part of the instruction material. Ideally, hybrid learning takes the best parts of face-to-face traditional courses, and adds or enriches them with the best tools and practices of online learning.
Blended Learning is the delivery of instructional content through both traditional face-to-face instruction, and a variety of e-learning tools, including emerging technologies such as mobile phones and other personal communication devices. A mixing of both synchronus and asychronus methods would be used.
Synchronous Learning - Occurs at the same time and the same place. Traditional face-to-face classes use mainly synchronous learning, but online classes can make use of live chat, webinars, web conferencing or web meetings, or teleconferencing using compressed video, satellite or cable delivery and interaction. This approach is instructor-centered. Asynchronous Learning - This approach is student-centered, and uses the centralization of online resources so that students can access them and learn outside of the time constraints of a regular classroom schedule. Peer interaction is emphasized and necessary to success.
And their you have it, my very own caffeinated Distance Education vocabulary. It's interwoven and a bit sticky and I'll attempt not to get too tangled in it as these blogs progress.
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