Elements of Distance Education Diffusion – Communication Tools

Distance education has the unique opportunity to take advantage of numerous online communication tools familiar to a growing number of students. Siemens (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008) discussed the growing sense of comfort among students to complete courses online based on their experiences using online communication tools. The global population increasingly uses computers to social network, Skype, blog, and twitter. As individuals become more experienced using these technologies, they become more comfortable expanding the use of these communication tools to education.

Information for "Where is technology leading higher education?"
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Social media use among school-aged children is growing, as many students have smart phones and household computers. Gray (2012) recommended incorporating the same technology in classrooms to increase student comfort with educational materials. Educators are finding ways to use online communication tools to create learning atmospheres that facilitate students’ interests. Distance education models have evolved with the development of Facebook and other sites that bring people together to communicate. Educators have found ways to use these familiar tools to increase collaboration and participation in course activities.

What students want:
EdTech Digest - blog by Andy Lausch

Educators can initially delivery course materials and knowledge to students online through various learning management systems (LMS) like Blackboard, and interact through a blend of communication tools. Mwirigi (2012) suggested synchronous interaction through videoconferencing, and asynchronously through email, Facebook, and Twitter. Mobile learning through SMS texts also has the potential to increase collaboration among instructors and students. Regardless of the methods used to communicate, it is important to implement the technology properly to increase its use and strengthen distance education models. It is not good enough to use the technology; students will lose interest when the technology is used poorly, or in a manner not familiar to them.

References

Gray, S. (2012, September 19). Technology helps students find comfort in the classroom [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.gilfuseducationgroup.com/technology-helps-students-find-comfort-in-the-classroom2

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Mwirigi, L. (2012, September 18). Impact of information and communication technologies on distance learning programmes [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://toddsblogs.com/referenceandeducation/2012/09/18/impact-of-information-and-communication-technologies-on-distance-learning-programmes/

The Next Generation of Distance Education

The role of distance education in professional training, higher education, and K-12 education is growing fast. Dr. Simonson (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008) along with Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) stressed the importance of adopting new pedagogical approaches when teaching online courses. When instructors transition to an online course environment they should have the equivalent learning experiences to meet outcomes (Simonson, 2008), but change their management and communication methods (Moller, Foshey, and Huett, 2008). I strongly agree with this position. Online tools to facilitate communication, collaboration, and interaction should be used to strengthen the course environment.

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Teachers are reluctant to invest time and often resist changing their approach to teaching online courses. Teacher training, focused on adopting new pedagogical approaches, along with faculty support and incentives can be used to motivate the transition (Moller, Foshey, and Huett, 2008). Schools can offer teachers proper training, pay incentives, workload time support, limited class sizes, and promotion opportunities based on their buy-in. I agree that instructors are often reluctant to invest time in new endeavors that consume their time, and offer them no added benefit. Organizations and teachers together can promote value-added distance education by offering proper training and motivational incentives. 

Looking for ways to deal with those instructors who won't budge:
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References

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore, MD: Author. 

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70.