Distance Education & Equivalency of Learning

ExperiencesEqual is not best

Michael Simonson

http://experts.msn.com/

STSP

DTSP

STDP

DTDP

Coldeway's Quadrants

One-TimeOnly Events

Multiple SessionEvents

Distance Education

Redefinition of Distance Education

Institution based formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources and instructors.

Equivalency Theory of Distance Education

"The more equivalent the learning experiences of the distant learner are to the learning experiences of the traditional learner, the more equivalent are the learning outcomes."

Learning Experiences

Anything that happens to or with a student that promotes learning, including what is observed, felt, heard, or done.

What Works – Distance Education

• Carefully planned instruction • Structured note taking - interactive study

guides• Visualizations of concepts• Less than 4 remote sites• Almost anything that works in a regular

classroom - if it is planned

South Dakota TeachersAverage Age ~44Years in Education ~17Gender ~67% FemaleInnovativeness ~108DE will improve Educ. ~4.7I know about DE ~2.7ITV/DDN will provide + ~4.5

Shifting Paradigms:Mission and Purposes

Instruction Paradigm

• Provide instruction• Transfer knowledge -

faculty to students

• Offer courses

• Improve teaching

Learning Paradigm

• Produce learning• Elicit discovery

and construction of knowledge

• Create powerful learning environments

• Improve learning

Shifting Paradigms:Teaching/Learning Structures

Instruction Paradigm

• Time held constant, learning varies

• 50-minute lecture, 3-credit hr course

• Covering material• Degree equals

accumulated credit hours

Learning Paradigm

• Learning held constant, time varies

• Learning environments

• Specified outcomes• Degree equals

demonstrated knowledge and skills

Shifting Paradigms:Learning Theory

Instruction Paradigm

• Learning teacher-centered, controlled

• “Live” teacher, “live” students required

• Classroom/learning competitive and individualistic

Learning Paradigm

• Learning student-centered, controlled

• “Active” learner required, but not “live” teacher

• Learning environments cooperative, supportive

Shifting Paradigms:Nature of Roles

Instruction Paradigm

• Faculty are primarily lecturers

• Faculty and students work independently and in isolation

Learning Paradigm

• Faculty are designers of learning methods and environments

• Faculty and students work in teams with each other and other staff