Great Blogs on Distance Education

Distance Education: Does it really go the distance?

Distance Education has increased over the years. While more and more people are enrolling and receiving an education online many argue about its effectiveness. In the business environment distance education is used more and more to train employees but is it really effective? “More cynical practitioners observe that it often seems that managers or customers care only about the appearance of training. These practitioners argue that managers promote e-learning only because it is relatively cheap to deliver, and it absolves them from the obligation to provide potentially more expensive or involved training.” (2008)

The advocates of elearning don’t feel that way. In fact millions of dollars are being pumped into online learning because of its capabilities that extend beyond the traditional classroom environment. As per Dr. Leslie Moller an Associate Professor at the University of South Dakota “significant learning often occurs as the result of learner-to-learner communication. Logically, meaningful learning is more likely to occur when learners have access to a supportive community that encourages knowledge building and social reinforcement". (2008)

What is the value of distance education? What are your thoughts about it? How can distance education be used to provide instruction? Do you think that an individual can receive a degree online that equivalents to one that they could receive in a face-to face environment?




Reference

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). 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.