Distance Learning in the U.S. Past, Present and Future / ED 7722: Week 1

Response to “Distance Education in the U.S. - Past, Present and Future” by Fahad Saba

Reading about the development of distance education in the U.S. brought a few surprises to me. I thought of distance learning as a modern concept, arising from the development of the internet, never realizing that as far back as the late 1800’s, assemblies like those begun in Chautauqua were actually a form of distance learning. I hadn’t thought of radio programs or correspondence courses as distance learning. I certainly never considered that when my kids learned their ABC’s from Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street, they were actually participating in a form of distance education.

In our current society, I can certainly see an important role for distance education. Distance learning can help to curb costs as the price of education is rising at a rate of 10%-15% per year (Saba, p.14). In order to be successful, distance learning must provide for active, rather than passive learning. According to Saba, “dialogue, or interaction between learners and instructors, and among the learners, is a fundamental concept in distance education” (Saba, p.13). The classes that I have participated in the IT&DML program are good examples of effective distance learning. Instructors and learners play active roles in facilitating learning for all.

In addition, Saba points out that distance learning has the potential to be individualized and adaptive. He says, “A dynamic and non-linear approach to interaction between learner traits and instructional treatment is necessary” (Saba, p.15). In other words, learners have individual strengths and weaknesses. Instructors, with the affordances of technology, can adapt to the diverse abilities of students, allowing them to achieve at their own pace.

As Saba notes, “public educational institutions that were organized during the industrial revolution are primarily in charge of implementing distance education” (Saba, p.16). It is time to update the theoretical concepts behind education, recognizing that a “one size fits all system of education” is expensive and inefficient (Saba, p. 16). Now that we have the technology to provide more individualized instruction, it makes sense to utilize it. In the process, we can lower the ever rising cost of education in America.

Clearly, distance education is here to stay and can play an important role in society. It is convenient and cost effective. It can be individualized and relevant to the learner. It also expands access as well as opportunities available to students. In order to be effective, it is critical that distance education be interactive; there is much we can learn from each other. While I appreciate the multitude of benefits offered by distance education, it cannot totally replace face to face learning. I see the future of education as a combination of distance learning and face to face experiences. We need to embrace the new without throwing away the old.

Citation

F. Saba (2011). Distance education in the United States: Past, present, future. Educational Technology, 51 (6) 11-18.