Distance+Learning+Program

**"Girls Gone Math"**; Andrea Sender, Rachel Perkins, Suzii Huynh, Tiffany Pham

=DISTANCE LEARNING = =SUMMARY= Distance Learning requires online networking between the teacher, learner, and other learners.

Distance learning programs are educational programs that focus on delivering teaching to students, through the use of technology, who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom. Commonly, distance learning programs may require a physical on-site presence at some point throughout the program. These programs may be referred to as hybrid or blended distance learning programs. toc



= HISTORY =

First Generation: correspondence study
The first generation of distance learning is correspondence study, which involves the use of print-based course materials and the postal service. The first modern distance educator is regarded to be [|Isaac Pitman], who taught shorthand by correspondence from Bath, England in 1840. Other correspondence colleges began in England in the late 1880s. In 1873, Anna Eliot Ticknor founded the [|Society to Encourage Study at Home], which supported women’s education in the United States. By the early part of 20th century, there were 48 institutions offering doctorates by correspondence in the United States alone. One of the problems with correspondence study is that it is very limited because it is a one-way and individualized mode of education.

Second Generation: multimedia distance education.
The second generation of distance learning included the use of new technologies. The second generation integrated the use of printed materials with broadcast media (radio and television) and cassettes (audio and video). In the mid-1920s, UK’s Department of Education began to provide schools with radio based instruction and shortly after BBC radio programs were used to support teachers in 10,000 schools. In 1932, the State University of Iowa began transmitting instructional courses and by 1939 they had broadcast almost 400 programs. In 1969 the [|Open University of the United Kingdom] was established, which would later become the largest university in the United Kingdom to this day. Like first generation distance learning, the second generation learning also lacked two-way communication.

Third Generation: computer-mediated distance education
A new industrial revolution brought about the availability of personal computers to every household in the civilized world. With this, came the opportunity for **two-way communication** in computer conferencing. This opened up the vital interaction that was missing in first and second generation distance learning—the dialogue, social learning, and communicative action. This internet and its capabilities for communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, has only furthered the reach, scope, options, and possibilities of distance learning.

= **HOW IT WORKS** = There are two basic types of distant education learning: synchronous and asynchronous.

**Synchronous e-learning:**
Commonly supported by media such as videoconferencing and chat, has the potential to support e-learners in the development of learning communities,synchronous occurs at regular intervals. Learners and teachers experience synchronous e-learning as ore social and avoid frustration by asking and answering questions in real time.

**Asynchronous e-learning:**
Commonly facilitated by media such as e-mail and discussion boards, supports work relations among learners and with teachers, even when participants cannot be online at the same time. They are usually used to describe communication in which data can be transmitted intermittently rather than in a stead stream. It is a key component of flexible e-learning. Many people take online courses because of their asynchronous nature, combining education with work, family, and other commitments. Asynchronous e-learning makes it possible for learners to log on to an e-learning environment at any time and download documents or send messages to teachers or peers. Students may spend more time refining their contributions, which are generally considered more thoughtful compared to synchronous communication.

At the University level, schools such as [|Harvard], the [|University of Southern California], and the [|University of California, Irvine] provide Distance Education for their students in order to provide them with an opportunity to advance their education while still maintaining their career and busy home schedule. Such schools uses online lectures that students can stream using video technology along with standard Internet browser software. Other schools transmit courses from studio classrooms via an Internet-delivery system. Students can then view the same lecture as on-campus students. They also have the option to view the course live, or later at their convenience. Depending on the school, as well as the program one is perusing, distance education may vary.

=ADVANTAGES= The quality of distance learning has improved within the last few years. There are various advantages of distance education programs. The benefits of distance learning can be outlined in the following categories :
 * Convenience and Accessibility
 * For those with restricted mobility (e.g., handicapped, injured, elderly, living away from training center)
 * Accessibility for those with irregular schedules such as family responsibilities (e.g., parents with young children at home) and around personal and professional work
 * Affordability
 * Reduces travel cost and time to and from school
 * Internet access is virtually :) free.
 * Flexibility to study in any convenient location with an Internet connection
 * Self-paced learning
 * Learners may have the option to select learning materials that meets their level of knowledge and interest
 * Quickly browse materials you have already mastered, and concentrate time and effort in areas containing new information and / or skills
 * Study materials at a personal speed and intensity, without having to wait for slower pace of the average classroom
 * Interactivity
 * Flexibility to join discussions in the bulletin board discussion areas at any hour, and to review your classmates' comments since the previous visit
 * Working in an online setting promotes transparency and collaboration that is essential to learning.
 * Multisensory
 * Different learning styles are addressed and facilitation of learning occurs through varied activities.
 * Distance learning programs enables more forms of multimedia and resources. These include:
 * Voice, Video, Data, Print
 * Equity
 * As mentioned in the history, this gives students an opportunity to learn despite proximity to educational institutions
 * Promotes Skills and Needs
 * Development of computer and Internet skills that are transferable to other facets of learner's lives. Higher education and careers are increasingly going virtual. Increased interaction in an online setting will better equip distance learning students with necessary 21st century skills.
 * Successfully completing online or computer-based courses builds self-knowledge and self-confidence and encourages students to take responsibility for their learning.
 * Just-in-time learning; more opportunities to study the most current material available
 * Requires Language and 21st century Literacy Skills

=DISADVANTAGES= The distance learning program is an excellent method due to [include Rachel’s advantages]; however, the program has its own disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages include: lack of feedback and contact, feelings of alienation and isolation, decrease in participation, and lack of student support and services.

Distance learning program allows the students to take the class without any physical student-to-teacher or student-to-student interaction; there is no daily or weekly face-to-face contact. Because of this, students may have difficulty in self-evaluation. Keegan (1986) believes that the separation of student and teacher imposed by distance removes a vital “link” of communication between these two parties. In order for students to experience complete academic and social integration into institutional life, there must be institutional efforts so that the teaching-learning transaction may be “reintegrated” through electronic or telephone communication (Keegan, 1986). If there is no communication among the students and teachers, students are more likely to drop out (Sheets, 1992).

Due to the limited social interaction (if any) in distance learning programs, students have reported that they develop feelings of alienation and isolation. It is not uncommon for students to want to be part of a larger school community, and simply a member of a “correspondence” course (Wood, 1996). But because of the “distance” aspect of distance learning, it has taken away much of the social interactions that would be present in traditional learning environments. In order to eliminate the feelings that distance feelings may have, the institution should provide a sense of personal involvement between the student and the institution. Distance students suffer from the disadvantage of being unable to physical interact with teachers and other students. Because of this distance, they develop a perception that they do not belong to a scholarly community. This may lead to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, and a lack of confidence in their abilities (Wood, 1996).

Because the nature of the distance learning program is for the students to communicate through the use of a camera, students feel more self-conscious due to the image they see themselves through the screen (Nahl, 1993). When students’ images are displayed on a monitor, they are more aware of how others may perceive themselves. The students may feel that they are “on television” and so it may affect their participation (Storck & Sproull, 1995). Having their image on the monitor is not the only thing that will affect participation, speaking in front of a camera may be high-anxiety activity as well. As a consequence, some students will be uncomfortable and intimidated (Webster, 1997).

Distance students have the lack of support and services such as providing tutors, academic planners and schedulers, and technical assistance. Because there is no guidance, students feel that they must complete assignments on their own without much-guided help. Students also need academic planners to help them complete courses on time and to act as support systems. Because distance learning programs are technology-based, some students may have lack of experience and training in technology. Students are required to have knowledge of computers so students must be taught, at a minimum, the fundamentals of operating the system (Galusha, 1997).

= CITATIONS = Galusha, J.M. (1997). Barriers to learning in distance education. []. Keegan, D. (1986). The Foundations of Distance Education. London: CroomHelm. Nahl, D. (1993). Communication dynamics of a live interactive television system for distanceeducation. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 34(3): 200-217. Rumble, G. (2001). Re-inventing distance education, 1971-2001, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 20(1): 31-43. Sheets, M. (1992). Characteristics of Adult Education Students andFactors Which Determine Course Completion: A Review, New Horizons in AdultEducation, 6, Number 1, [] Storck, J., & Sproull, L. (1995). Through a glass darkly. What do people learn in videoconferences?Human Communication Research, 22: 197-219. Webster, J. (1997). Teaching Effectiveness in Technology-Mediated Distance Learning. The Academy of Management Journal, 40(6): 1282-1309. Williams, P., Nicholas, D., & Gunter, B. (2005). E-learning: what the literature tells us about distance education. Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 57(2): 109-122. Wood, H. (1996). Designing Study Materials for Distance Students", [].

1. Teaching Effectiveness in Technology .2. What's the Difference? Outcomes of Distance vs. Traditional Classroom-Based Learning. Grading Criteria:titlesummarytable of contentsinformationreferenceslinksvisuals