Selecting Distance Learning Technologies

The following text explains a real world example of the need for distance education and my reasoning for selecting certain technologies to accomplish the goal of the scenario:

Collaborative Training Environment A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.

Blackboard can be useful in the above scenario by using the onsite training solution.
Rcampus is another program that would work well in the above situation. In Rcampus, students can create a
clubs, faculty groups, private groups and study groups. So, the employees in the training can share information, screen captures, and have discussions within the website/program.

http://scobleizer.com/2010/09/29/blackboard-mobile-is-another-example-of-how-mobile-and-location-are-changing-everything/

http://www.blackboard.com/

http://www.rcampus.com/


"Sales training often involves an annual meeting where a company flies in its reps at launch time to train them together on location. Sound familiar?
Move beyond sales training of the past towards an engaging continuous and blended online learning program with the Blackboard Learn™ platform. With Blackboard Learn, you can create thorough and rigorous training that begins long before your reps arrive on-site, and doesn’t end until well after they return to the field" (http://www.blackboard.com/Markets/Corporate/Solutions/Business-Applications/Sales-Training.aspx).
The following video shows a real life example of how Blackboard can be used anywhere on a mobile device for students to access information and network with others: http://scobleizer.com/2010/09/29/blackboard-mobile-is-another-example-of-how-mobile-and-location-are-changing-everything/

Defining Distance Education

At my current position as an online student, I am learning a great deal about the progress of distance learning and technology in education. For example, the way people learn has changed so much since I was a young student in school. The blog I’m referencing explains the differences in generational learning styles very well. The veterans learned by rote memorization, the boomers learned with books and materials, gen x learned with exploration and hands on experiences (me) and now, the young students (milennials) learn through media, networking, eLearning, etc. (http://nkilkenny.wordpress.com/2006/08/30/generational-learning-styles-and-methods/ ) So, anyone who starts taking courses online, not matter what age, will still use their old ways to study, write, and learn, but they will also start to use some of the new ways. Digital immigrants are learning from digital natives and using the new ways to learn, collaborate, and network.
            Before staring the course, EDUC-6135-2 Distance Learning, I only know about distance learning in terms of what I’ve done online so far. I’ve learned distance education works very well for me and many other people. I was skeptical at first since I am used to the traditional setting. For adults, however, we don’t need the traditional setting. We don’t need the social, physical interactions in order to learn. Children, however, and possibly undergraduate students should probably have that social aspect of school.
            After starting this course, I have started to redefine distance learning and have found that distance education is much more than getting a degree online.            
Distance education has been around for a long time with correspondence studies, open universities in Europe, and the Internet. The definition of distance education is using technological resources to learn at a distance. The teacher and student are separated physically, using technology to connect. (Simonson, M. 2012) There are four main components of distance education: institutionally based, separation of teacher and student, interactive telecommunications, and sharing of data, voice, and video (learning experiences). (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2012) Distance education is not self-study. It is institutionally based. An institution is not just a school. Businesses, companies, and corporations offer instruction at a distance.
            The evolution of distance education will continue to progress and more and more students, employees, businesses, schools, and corporations will continue utilizing distance education. Even children will use distance education more, such as K12, but traditional learning and the traditional school setting will not be replaced completely with distance education.

           
References:
Simonson, M. (2012) Distance Education: The Next Generation Laureate Education, Inc.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S., (2012) Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education, Fifth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc.
Generational Learning Styles and Methods (2006) Retrieved fromhttp://nkilkenny.wordpress.com/2006/08/30/generational-learning-styles-and-methods/ in February, 2012.

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