Definition of Distance Education
Personal Definition.
Text definitions with comparisons
Will my definition stand the test of time?
References:
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education, Sixth Edition. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing
- Prior to reading – Distance education is a learning experience that does not require physical proximity, but instead is a transfer of knowledge and skills through a medium, ranging from physical books to online video chats.
Text definitions with comparisons
- “Institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors.” (Schlosser and Simonson, 2009, as cited in Simonson et all, 2015, p. 6)
- Comparison: Both definitions require the two learning parties, teacher and student, to be in different physical places.
- Contrast: While Schlosser and Simonson’s definition is more formal with higher education in mind, I think, unlike my definition, it limits the sphere of education to only formalized institutions, not taking natural knowledge absorption into account. Distance education does not require telecommunication systems.
- "Distance education is planned learning that normally occurs in a different place from teaching and as a result requires special techniques of course design, special instructional techniques, special methods of communication by electronic and other technology, as well as special organizational and administrative arrangements". (Greg Kearsley, 1996 as found in http://www.novastars.com/distance-education/index.html).
- Comparison: The similarity between this definition and my definition is that distance education takes two different places.
- Contrast: The difference between these definitions is that Greg’s definition emphasizes the special considerations and designs a distance course requires in how it differs from a traditional course. This is a very important distinction because many traditional courses are being converted to online courses will little to no thought about how the shift will affect the learning outcomes and thus results in a poor design and poor execution.
- “In any distance education process, there must be: a teacher; one or more students; a course or curriculum that the teacher is capable of teaching and the student is trying to learn; and a contract, implicit or explicit, between the student and the teacher or the institution employing the teacher that acknowledges their respective teaching/learning roles”. (Rumble, 1989, as cited in Simonson et all, 2015, p. 34)
- Comparison: In my definition there was an implied teacher and student, but Rumble’s definition actually states these positions, but the understanding is similar.
- Contrast: In Rumble’s definition he explicitly states the often implicitly understood contract for teaching/learning roles, unlike my definition which had no resemblance of said contract.
Will my definition stand the test of time?
- I think the first part of my definition will remain valid for the future, mainly because it is so general and it simply restates the very definition of the title, “distance education”, but the second half of my definition will quickly become dated as new technology arises to replace our current set.
References:
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education, Sixth Edition. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing
Module_2_-_definition_of_distance_education.docx |