Distance Education

This was an interesting topic to look at particularly with the MOOCs, but the one thing that I first must address is the topic of revolution. To many times, some new technology or introduction of a new way of education comes and  we see it as revolutionary and it always ends in evolution not revolution. That being the case this article does not necessarily say it will cause a revolution but shows the potential for a revolution of education. In the article, what stuck with me the most is the idea that “Student control may be extended and even expanded even as demand for education increases on a global basis as new technologies associated with distance learning offer new choices to address an increasingly diverse set of student needs.” This is an interesting aspect of distance learning that could come about and one that would hopefully allow students access to course or resources to be able to give more students a quality education. I say quality in education in that students would now have an opportunity to be taught by a higher quality teacher. It also allows for students in lower SES schools, who we saw in the last readings, that did not have access to classes like statistic course to now have the option of taking those courses in order to be better prepared and ready for college. This could be where distance education, but it also can start an evolution where what we are seeing is more of the same just in a different format.

How will the curriculum, Pedagogy and Technology change?

This is an interesting question and one that depends on just how much distance learning changes education, as we know it. No matter what the affect of distance education has on education, distance education will cause a change in pedagogy, curriculum, and technology. I say that because with the growth of distance education it will cause the need for a change in pedagogy for online learning and how best to enhance student learning via the Internet. You cannot just have a talking head and expect students to watch a 3 hour lecture and have a deep online discussion, the teachers need to develop the content in ways that keeps the attention of the students. It will have an affect on curriculum by allowing a wider range of courses to students which can mean course that other schools offer such as statistics to students who only had basic math, or it could mean having courses students are interested in being available at a distance. It will also have an affect on technology causing technology to evolve or develop to enhance distance learning and what that depends upon is the pedagogy that develops as well. These two go hand in hand because with new technology can allow teachers to do more things and the more teachers want to do or students want will drive technology into developing tools to meet those needs.  The changes that distance learning will cause will be interesting and it will be interesting to see who controls that direction as well.