Module 1 Post

Module 1 Blog Post – Educ 8842

In this week’s readings, defining arguments were posed by two different sets of authors. These authors have varying and overlapping reasons as to why they believe there is a need to evolve distance education to the next generation. Professor Mike Simonson believes that distance education is nearing the point of critical mass. In this regard, Simonson believes there is a need to evolve distance education be we “can expect exponential growth” (Simonson, 2010) of distance education. Because the point of critical mass is approaching, Simonson emphasizes an evolutionary need to “nurture, support, and inculcate” (2010) distance learning into what we do daily as teachers and learners. Simonson sees distance learning’s evolution from a functionality point of view, whereas the second group of authors’ perspective is functionality combined with effectiveness, whereby effectiveness is linked to quality of instruction.

Moller, Foshay, and Huett, in their 3-part series of articles on the evolution of distance education, also share reasons for the need to evolve distance education. In part one of the series, Moller, Foshay, and Huett discuss the major ramifications of training and development in the context of e-learning’s instructional design, part two focuses upon higher education, and part three on K-12 education. In each of the three articles, one aspect of a need for evolution rings true: sound instructional design methodology.

Despite the fact that I fully understand Simonson’s perspective, I concur completely with Moller, Foshay, and Huett. Once a sound and solid culture of distance learning is established, universally agreed upon, and accepted, the pedagogy, structures, and procedures will follow suit. This is iterative of the “sound ID methodology” (2008, Moller et. al, p. 68) and “sound ID principles” (2008, Moller et. al, p.71) emphasized as important to the evolution of distance learning by the authors. This is quite the contrast to Simonson’s emphasis upon nurturing distance education. There is less of a need to nurture what is overwhelmingly becoming a standard in society as there is to set and codify a distance learning culture with structures and procedures in place.

References:

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the
potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52,(5), 63–67.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. The evolution of distance
education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web
(Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. The evolution of distance
education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web
(Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends,52(4), 66–70.

Simonson, M. (2010). Distance Education: The Next Generation. [Video]. Laureate Education, Inc.

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