Defining Distance Learning

It seems that everyone can take advantage of leaning from anywhere, at anytime, and with the greatest of ease. As distance learning has evolved over the years the ease to access has increased, and this will continue to be true into the future. At this moment most distance learning takes place using a computer to access a college course, or for some sort of WBT, for continuing education and making one's self more marketable. As technology improves (evolves), so will how we access and use distance learning, although a computer of some sort will always be the backbone of distance learning. People will be able to learn in virtual worlds, using their cell phones, and possibly even through video games. As long as there is teaching at a distance and learning at distance taking occurring, according to Simonson (Simonson, 2003), distance learning is taking place.

Distance learning has evolved by leaps and bounds from its roots in correspondence study. This type of distance learning, which emerged 160 + years ago, offered students monthly correspondence with their teachers through tests and guided reading. Then, came electronic communication, which emerged in the early 1900's. This started by broadcasting on radio stations, then moved to broadcast television and videos, and then to computers. Electronic communication evolved into distance teaching universities in the early 1960's as technology improved just as distance teaching universities have evolved into what we now consider to be distance learning, or distance education.

I consider distance learning to be when a student, or any individual learning a new skill or task, is learning at a distance from the source. In addition, I think there needs to be a goal, evaluation, and some intended outcome of this learning. If someone is at home reading a science journal to learn about cells, I would not classify that as distance learning but instead as self-study. My definition varies slightly from our course readings this week, but is still on par. While I do believe there needs to be a learner, which is obvious if it is to be called "distance learning," I do not believe there needs to be a teacher or contact source from which the material derived. The reason I say this is because I think that WBT training at corporations are considered to be distance learning, but there is not usually a teacher at a distance to communicate with. There is however; supervisors, coworkers, and onsite trainers that can help assist the learner and act as the teacher for the course though not at a distance.

For example, the courses that I (we) take at Walden U. are classified as distance learning because we learn at a distance from the source, we interact with others, and each of us has a specific purpose and receives evaluation. This example is obvious. In my position I develop WBT training, so this might be why I have a wider-range viewpoint of distance learning. The courses I develop are for military personnel and corporations. I, as a Training Specialist (ISD), use a curriculum outline to go through our process of designing and developing the courses. I do not always know how if used by the client, but I know that there is not a teacher at a distance; instead the "teacher" is at the specific local and the training course itself acts as the teacher.

I am not sure that what I think now about distance learning is much different than what I thought before. I think the only difference is that I never really tried to define it previously. I considered online courses, WBT, and similar learning environments to be a form of distance education; however if you asked me I probably would not have been able to tell you why specifically. I think Delling (1985) defined distance leaning in a similar fashion to how I view it: "that distance education, in general, is a planned and systematic activity that comprises the choice, didactic preparation, and presentation of teaching materials as well as the supervision and support of student learning, which is achieved by bridging the physical distance between student and teacher by means of at least one appropriate technical medium" (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, p. 33).

References
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Video Program: Distance Education: The Next Generation. Simonson

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