In 2008 when I started my online degree, my distance learning experience involved about 65% online learning while the other 35% of the time was spent in the physical classroom. At that time, everyone in my class resided in the state I lived in because we convened at least two days during the week for classroom time. My definition back then was: “distance learning is the process that afforded a student the ability to partake in classroom due to lack of time or some other instance, while still being able to have an educational community to support that learning.” Stating this course truly exposed me to what distance learning truly is: “A community of learners regardless of location, who are facilitated and guided electronically with the hopes of attaining the same goal; expansion of knowledge while obtaining a degree. While it may not be the same as an expert definition, Simonson, Smaldino, and Zvacek (2015), defined distance learning as “institution based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors.”

      As I have learned in education, no definition remains the same as thoughts, and now technology are constantly evolving producing better ways of thinking and more efficient ways of doing things. Because of this evolution, the future of distance education will not remain as it is today, or even two years from now: what would work in today’s world, will not necessarily work in the future. This does not mean that what we are doing now will be null and void, however, the future holds much promise for advancement and new technologies. Distance education is not all about technological creations, but as the three part article from Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008) discussed, facilitators and instructional designers alike have as much as a stake in the advancement of distance education.

      In my current career, the value of any type of education is held to a certain standard as high expectations are place on employees after taking the course. While not all courses are delivered online, the ones that are hold great promotional opportunities to employees, while classes held at a physical location are more for personal development. In addition, the distance education opportunities that are presented online by my employers, offer an immediate solution to training employees on the ever changing policies. For instance, during open enrollment for health insurance every year, rather than reduce customer service man hours, job aids are created for online learning so that employees are able to multi-task learning and actual production. I believe that distance education will have a different meaning in each field as each organization has different goals to fulfill. Distance education is not one dimensional as there are many reasons in which organizations and individuals choose to participate: ease of access, limited travel resources, ease of distribution of content, and a host of many others. Maybe ten years ago technical knowledge may have played a role but I no longer believe this is the case as the advent of smart phones and constant software and hardware upgrades are constant.

      In my opinion, the strength in the distance education course that my company provides is that content is used every day and the added benefit of being able to receive promotions or merit raises from partaking in the course. For instance, to advance from a Grade 9 to a Grade 10, employees will have to take a total of three course within their first year of employment. I clearly remember nearing my one year anniversary at my job, even though I was achieving all of the metrics set forth by the company, I still had to participate in various distance education programs that were available on the company’s intranet. In this instance, distance education will continue to flourish due to the investment placed into it. While this is the case at my organization, another organization may not stress the importance and value in distance education for its employees. I believe that it is up to each organization to continuously train and invest in its IDs to continue the expansion of distance education programs.

      As we continue to experience changes and upgrades in technology, I strongly believe that it is up to stakeholders to keep up-to-date and grow with it. Education is not stand alone and we must all make an effort to ensure its growth. While traditional institutions will not go away, it must be understood that increasing work, family, and personal commitments will continue to change the meaning of not only education but also distance education. In my hopes for the future of distance education, trainers will be able to hold short (about 15 minutes) video sessions in a training environment that encourage interaction among employees especially in large organizations. I believe there are enough programs available for this, however, other variables such as upgrading computer systems and maintaining productivity will have to be worked out.

     

Resources

Moller, L., Foshay, W. R., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web.Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 52(4), 66-70. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0179-0

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Definitions, history, and theories of distance education. In Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (6^th ed., pp31-40). United States, USA: IAP