Definition of Distance Learning

This post is for those of you that are new to distance learning. Distance learning is a form of learning where the instructor and the students are in physically separate locations. Can be either synchronous or asynchronous in nature. Can include correspondence, video or satellite broadcasts, or e-Learning. Usually implies the higher education level.

Asynchronous learning is based on constructivist theory where it places an emphasis on peer-to-peer interaction. Learners log into the learning platform at different times from different places all with the same goal in mind. Courses such as those a Liberty University use asynchronous form of learning. My group presentations last semester were an example of asynchronous learning. All members of the group logged into the discussion board of Blackboard to post their comments and their part of the project. This type of learning has been most prevelent at the graduate level, but now can be found at the undergraduate level and even in high schools with the emergence of homeschooling.

Synchronous learning is where there learners log in and are interacting with one another at the same time, although from different locations. Typical applications for synchronous learning includes problem-based learning, or learning through case studies. I could take that group presentation and make it synchronous in nature by asking my group members to login to a chat program that I ask them to download. We are now using the chat room as an online place to meet. You can liken this to meeting at Starbucks with your group members in the residential program. This type of learning has been prevelent at the undergraduate level, but the undergraduate level is becoming increasingly asynchronous.

 

Distance Degrees

An adjunct to distant learning (DL) is a distance degree (DD) - usually a DD is earned to some extent through DL it need not be. Many people acquire credits by sitting in class at multiple schools - all my BS credits were earned attending class at around ten different schools -Excelsior accepted these credits and awarded me a distance degree.

 

how was the learning experience? did you have ample opportunities for practice, interact with your peers?

 

In some cases, distance learning programs do away with instructors entirely. All that remains is the Cheshire cat's grin, exams administered to students who study independently.

Many distance learning courses don't award university credit or degrees. Once we acknowledge these, then distance learning starts to merge into online interest groups (including Degreeinfo), informative websites and the remaining luddites like me who still persist in reading old-fashioned books.

I'm not sure what constructivist theory is. But asynchronous classes needn't necessarily emphasize peer-to-peer interaction among students. (Correspondence courses are about as asynchronous as you can get and there's no student-student interaction at all.)

When it comes to online classes, I prefer asynchronous classes. They are a lot more user-friendly when students live in many different time-zones and have very different schedules. It's more flexible for the instructor too. My impression is that synchronous classes are a dying breed. Even videos of live lectures are canned these days and can be replayed at a student's leisure.

It seems to me that you can do pretty much everything asynchronously that you can do synchronously. It's slower certainly, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. People have time to think through what they want to say and to compose their remarks.

 

I've never heard nor read of the formal designation of "distance degree". Does your Excelsior degree specifically mention "distance"? Most programs that offer a degree at a distance do not make special note of the on campus or online nature of the way the degree was earned.

 

What comes to mind for me is the University of London, a venerable institution that began offering "distance learning" degrees long before Al Gore invented the internet. (if I could get these dang smilies to work there would be a grin inside these parentheses instead of this stupid message).

 

I call my books 'wireless reading devices' (same as Amazon's Kindle) which is 100% factually accurate.

Mark, who is running into a bit of a book storage problem and needs to visit Ikea one of these days.

 

"Sitting In"- How'd you do it?

Ian, I have been reading threads as a newbie to this site and just HAVE to ask about you how this worked out for you. Forgive me for my asking this, but how were you able to get transcripts together from all the classes at different online schools to actually get your degree? Seems like an amazing thing to do! If so, it gets me thinking just how many other students have graduated by doing the same thing. Kinda makes me go "hhhhhummmmmm!?"

 

In my case, I contacted the offices of registrar of my former schools and requested transcripts be sent to my distance school.

 

you mean like this




When selecting the smilies ensure that the requisite text is beside it or use the text equivalent and it will auto populate.



and apparently we are limited to 6 smilies per message.

 

And that is all I had to do, except that my UK transcripts had to be sent to an evaluation agency who then forwarded their equivalent credit recomendation to Execelsior.