The Evolving Definition of Distance Learning

    The definition of distance learning is always changing from constant technological advances affecting business practices in all fields. There are different types of distance learning depending on what type of learners the distance learning is delivered, including virtual school for kindergarten through twelfth grade, online universities for college students, and E-Learning for corporate employees (Simonson et al., 2019). It is difficult to determine one standard definition of e-Learning because the technologies and techniques evolve rapidly (Sangra et al., 2012). Before taking Distance Learning EDUC 6135 at Walden University, I defined distance learning as a university correspondence course or online course with some synchronous and some asynchronous aspects. 

    Now that I have read the resources for the first week of Distance Learning EDUC 6135, I have formed a different definition of distance learning. For my new definition of distance learning, I agree with Simonson, Zvacek, and Smaldino (2019) that distance learning is any formal training program where the instructor provides activities to students from a distance in space and time, and technology-enabled communication devices connect the instructor and students. I also agree with Sangra, Vlachopoulos, and Cabrera (2012) who explain that E-Learning is training delivered through media that leads to learning outcomes. I revised my definition because now I understand that an accepted definition of distance learning has four essential components, including that it is 1) deployed by an institution, 2) has students and instructors who participate from different locations and times, 3) includes class members and instructors who interact through technology, and 4) includes multimedia learning experiences that the instructor shares with learners (Simonson et al., 2019). University courses offered online are distance courses, but now I understand that they are a subset of the different types of courses. 

    Other distance courses include virtual classroom training, online courses, self-study courses, webinars, massive open online courses (MOOCs), and E-Learning courses (Simonson et al., 2019). Virtual training is a term used for distance education in kindergarten through twelfth grade (Simonson et al., 2019). Corporations use E-Learning to deliver compliance training, such as how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, competency training, such as how to show empathy to a customer, and job skills training, such as how to adhere to policies and procedures. The types of distance learning that corporate training organizations deploy include E-Learning, virtual training, and webinars (Simonson et al., 2019). Online training usually refers to proctored university courses taught at a distance by a college professor for college credit (Simonson et al., 2019). MOOCs are self-study E-Learning courses with large enrollments that are open to everyone (Simonson et al., 2019). 

    Due to the availability of the internet, open online training courses are available to more people around the world than ever before. Open courses will become more popular, which is a trend that has been expanding rapidly in some European countries (Simonson et al., 2019). Open courses are a viable option for low-income and rural students to increase their knowledge and skills. In the future, distance learning will grow exponentially. As learning technologies advance due to the convenience of participating in training online, the availability of different online activities for learning will continue to grow (Moller et al., 2008). Leaders in the software industry will continue to unveil new technologies that make it easier for instructional designers to include animation and more sophisticated-looking graphics in their distance training solutions (Moller et al., 2008). 

    Instructional designers should utilize the innovative software available for developing engaging training materials. Although delivering training to distant locations that lack educational infrastructure is possible with the internet, many underfunded regions do not have internet connections that they can use to access training (Simonson et al., 2019). In contrast, other countries have used distance education to train remote populations to build a skilled workforce online (Simonson et al., 2019). Today’s knowledge workers must have communication, technical, and problem-solving skills (Johnson, 2006). Instructional designers should learn the best practices incorporating instructional design methodologies for different types of distance learning as new technologies and communication devices are introduced into mainstream usage. 

References

Johnson, D. (2006). Skills for the knowledge worker. Teacher Librarian, 34(1), 8. 

Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(3), 70–75. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1007/s11528-008-0158-5 

Sangra, A., Vlachopoulos, D., & Cabrera, N. (2012). Building an Inclusive Definition of E-Learning: An Approach to the Conceptual Framework. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(2), 145–159. 

Simonson, M., Zvacek, S., & Smaldino, S. (2019). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (7th ed.) Information Age Publishing.