Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning - Coursework Example

DISTANCE EDUCATION Institution of Affiliation: Course No. Date: Introduction Distance Education is a learning process that was introduced in the 1700s by a man called Caleb Phillips. Caleb Phillips was a shorthand teacher who was seeking students in this field who would be taught weekly by a means of sending assignments to them (Schlosser, A.L. & Simonson, M.R. 2001). Year after year distance education gained popularity and better means of passing information to the students was invented with the email being one of them. Soon afterwards, universities all over the world started offering long distance learning whereby the teachers and the students would not meet physically beginning with the University of London. This was the first university to offer distance education degree programs. Later, there was an introduction of Diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programs which attracted a large number of students toward pursuing their dream careers without necessarily going through the normal school routine. Distance Education Distance Education also known as distance learning is the act of passing knowledge that would otherwise be passed on physically from a lecturer to a student through the media. With an advanced technology, students can now be able to get knowledge without necessarily going through a daily routine class session. Distance learning mostly occurs when the student and the teacher or lecturer are separated by time or distance. However, there are other times when they are separated by both time and distance. Distance learning can be embraced by all people; both adults and the young learners. Most students, especially them who are pursuing higher levels of learning such as master’s and doctorate degrees, are no longer willing to attend the traditional type of education. One of the reasons as to why this is so is because most of them have families and live a life that is too demanding to be balanced with class life. Furthermore, a person who is pursuing a doctorate or a masters degree also has his or her own responsibilities at their place of work. Most of them are employed or have a source of income that demands their attention throughout the day. Another reason as to why other people have embraced distance education is because of their inability to conveniently access traditional classes especially for the people living in more remote areas. There are several ways in which content can be delivered right from the teachers to the students and vice versa. These technologies include the internet, satellite, interactive video and cable television. Distance learning has been embraced by many institutions including the nonprofit, public and private institutions. There are also some institutions which offer free basic courses for willing students. A student in the modern world can be able to attain to the highest levels of education with the most accredited universities all over the world. Distance Education can be classified into different categories; synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid distance learning. Synchronous Distance Learning Synchronous Distance Education occurs when a student is involved in an interactive learning process where with different students at the same time. These students could be from different parts of the world but log on to their computers at the same time for the class session. Synchronous distance education is similar to the traditional way of learning since the class is made up of a number of students who interact freely with one another and the teacher. In addition, the students in this kind of learning set up must follow the set time for class sessions without fail. Most of these classes happen once a week with the students uses web seminars, video conferencing or online chats to interact with one another. Asynchronous Distance Education Asynchronous distance education gives the student the chance to learn and do their assignments at their own pace. However, students are given deadlines for the lessons and the assignments. Asynchronous distance learning offers more time for the students to interact on the online board forums. Despite the fact that this type of education offers videos, audios, and texts content, they sometimes become too tedious for the students since they have to learn on their own without any active interactions which could help in easing their understanding of concepts. Asynchronous learning or education type of system is more flexible compared to any other kind of learning. Hybrid Distance Learning Hybrid distance education combines both asynchronous and synchronous methods of learning. There is a specific time whereby the student joins an interactive team of other learners together with the teacher. There are also moments when the students are given an assignment which they are supposed to submit at a given deadline. A college or a university adapts this kind of learning due to lack of adequate space for its students. Benefits of distance education in the modern society Since the time of its launch distance education has offered a high sense of flexibility especially to the working class students. It is very difficult for a family person, who is also established in a career to attend classes in the traditional way since a lot is demanded of them in terms of time and attention. Distance Education gives one the chance to select the best institution of learning. Since it knows no boundaries, people from all over from the best institutions all over the world. A person who gets involved in distance education can get to the highest levels of his or her career learning by utilization of the part time, weekend and evening courses. A student has the rare opportunity of studying from anywhere in the world. This does not hinder the person from attending to other social duties that demand change of location. He or she also enjoys the opportunity of studying comfortably in their room without having to travel long distances for classes or follow fixed schedules. Materials for a distance education course are often delivered right to where the student is. For example, if the student uses the email, they are able to receive the materials on their machines whenever they log in without the need to move from place to place. Distance education gives a student the opportunity of exercising their independence by taking charge of how they will attain their degree. Distance education benefits students who are in areas where traditional classes are not available. There is a group of students who do not have the confidence of sitting in a class that has many students. Such students could have their grades affected in a traditional class set up. However, embracing the modern technology in distance learning could solve this issue and build their confidence. Distance learning unites students from all over the world. This gives each of the students the opportunity to get exposed to other cultures through interacting with the students and creation of new relationships that would benefit the in the future. The cons of Distance Education Social interaction with other people physically is a very important part in the learning process. Missing out on this could make a student have some difficulty in participating in social occasions and simple gatherings. It also denies the student the chance of building up self confidence through a one on one interaction with other student and the lecturers. A student who goes through the traditional class set up finds it easier to address gatherings with confidence since they have built the capacity on during their day to day times in class with the other students. Distance education is difficult for procrastinators (Moore, G. M., Kearsley, G.1998). A student who is not disciplined in following up lessons and meeting deadlines could fall victim in his book, Aggarwal states that students who lack self discipline can never survive in distance learning. He further states that distance education is a field that calls for diligence and extra hard work (Aggarwal, D. D. & Sons 2007). Students must also be able to plan their lives to fit in time for study. Their schedules must be able to accommodate study especially during the best hours of the day when the brain is able to grasp concepts. Many students rely on the motivation offered to them by their teachers. Such students find it difficult to survive on self motivation. Distance learning is majorly dependant on one’s self motivation and the ability to take extra steps in the learning process. A student must be able to follow up on concepts that he or she does not fully understand. Many students lose out on this due to laziness and their incapability to discipline their minds toward studying. Since distance learning is done by means of the internet, some students fall victim of social media. For example, if a parent is not in a position of monitoring the student closely, they could end up spending most of their time on social media rather than taking time to study. Adult learners are also a victim of the same. Lack of self discipline could run the badly since most of their time would be spent on the social media. Distance learners who learn best through personalized attention are most likely to suffer from difficulty in understanding. This kind of learning is best suitable for the audio- visual learners. It is therefore very important for the students intending to join distance learning to be able to identify their strong and favorite learning skills that would help them to easily understand. It is also evident that not everybody has confidence in distance learning. As much as most colleges are embracing the new technique of teaching, there is still a group of people who have the wrong perception of this kind of learning. This is likely to take the while before they can fully appreciate this kind of change in the education system.  Distance learners receive little or no support for their assignments. Their teachers expect them to look for their own resources to complete assignments. This could be demoralizing for some of the students as much as it could be empowering to the other group. A student must also be very flexible enough to adapt new technologies. A student who is not computer –savvy finds it so difficult to do their lessons. Factors to be consider when planning for distance education As much as distance education could be in possession of several benefits, it is quite clear that is not fit for every kind of person. Distance education requires proper planning in terms of resources, education and technology. Before a student is put into the system of distance education, his or her learning style must be put into consideration. Audio visual students benefit greatly with this kind of learning. A student who intends to take up the challenge of distance learning must be ready to embrace self discipline. Procrastination is a killer in this kind of system. A student must put down a strict schedule that will enable him or her go through the learning process without fail and much strain. It is therefore advisable for students to choose the best hours of the day to carry out their studies without any interference (Chang, T.M.1983). One must take note that they are competing with other students who go through the traditional class system. This demands extra hard work for the distance learners who are dependent on self motivation. Depending on the mode of information transmission, distance learners should take time to prepare technologically. Being equipped with modern technological machines would go a long way in offering an easy time of learning for the students. A student must also be ready to embrace the changes that would occur in the process of learning in terms of technology. Physical and psychological preparation is crucial in this matter for every student. Choosing the right institution is also very crucial in this preparation and planning process. A student must ensure that he or she is registered in an accredited institution. The institution should also be ranked as one of the best to enable the student is marketable especially in the current competitive world. Conclusion Distance education is one of the best ideas ever implemented in the education system. It has brought about flexibility in the education world which has attracted more people taking up the challenge of furthering their education more comfortably. Flexibility in the learning process also offers a chance for the students to participate in the formal learning systems from the comfort of their rooms. The world is now a global village, and the improvement in technology is making it easier for the students all over the world to receive the best kind of education regardless of their geographical location. Day after day, the benefits of distance education are slowly outweighing the cons of the same. More people are embracing the new technology in the education sector and this is making it easier or more people to access high quality education from the best institutions anywhere in the world. However, distance education demands heavy financial investment. A student must be able to acquire the latest software for the purpose of easy learning, reception and retrieval of information from the institutions. This kind of education is limited to persons with self discipline. Students who have a problem with strict following of schedules are less likely to benefit from this kind of education system. Lastly, the costs of taking distance in terms of fees are very high compared to the cost of taking the regular traditional classes. References Moore, G. M., Kearsley, G. (1998) Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning. Cengage Learning. Edition 3 Schlosser, A.L. & Simonson, M.R. (2001). Distance Education. IAP. Aggarwal, D. D. & Sons (2007). Future of Distance Education. NY: Sarup & Sons. Maddux, D. et al. (2002). Distance Education: Issues and Concerns. Routledge, New York. Chang, T.M. (1983). Distance Learning: On The Design of an Open University. Springer Read More