Overthinking or Underthinking?
Okay Gang:
So, I’m not sure if I might be missing some of the subtler points today. Our readings emphasized distinctions between several terms. In my view, E-learning has very close ties to distance education.
E-learning to me is generally synonymous with online education; but forgive me if I have overlooked any significant differences. I design and teach online courses in Child Development, using Canvas (a learning management system (LMS) gaining huge popularity across the California community colleges and elsewhere). Therefore, e-learning/online education is an essential part of my practice.
In my view, e-learning is a subset of distance education. In fact, I’d dare say it is increasingly becoming the vastly significant subset, as other distance education methods such as correspondence fade into obscurity. (I may be overstating my case; with all due apologies to any classmates joining us by postal mail.)
I created a PowerPoint (attached), mainly to address Activity 2.
Hi Marvin, your PPT subtitle made me laugh so I Tweeted, I really should have asked and I hope I didn't overstep any bounds. Thank you for the smile. I don't think you're missing any subtle points, I agree with you that eLearning is a subset of distance education Distance education just has a much longer history. Some of the challenges in successful distance learning of the past (slow horses, books going missing in the mail, etc.) are different, and some are the same for 2018 concepts of eLearning. The social distance of eLearning is still problematic for educators and learners, group work is still really challenging, accountability is easier to dodge. What lessons were learned in the distant past about distance ed that might have value for eLearning that we can avoid having to re-learn?
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Hmmm...lessons from the past...Well, I think one thing that distance ed from the earliest times proved is that students exist who are willing to do it; in fact, some may even prefer it over traditional face-to-face learning. I think distance ed particularly adds conveniences of time management through asynchronous scheduling; e.g., not needing to meet in the Jackson Building, Room 148, from 10:00 to 11:50 AM next Tuesday, June 5th.
I think social distance may be a proverbial double-edged sword--it actually might "cut both ways". I happen to be pretty much an introvert--so a little social distance is something I can appreciate.
More recent lessons may include:
- Computer networks are usually faster than horses.
- Don't send book in the mail--post an e-text on the web instead.
- Personal images and voice can simulate social presence (and this may feel plenty close enough for introverts).
- Today's varied multimedia can be more engaging than print materials of the past.
- Computerized systems automate scoring and feedback for many test and quiz formats.
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