Thursday, June 16, 2011

EDUC 7102 Response to Articles by Moller, Huett, Foshay, and Coleman

Moller, Huett, Foshay, and Coleman (2008) published a series of three articles detailing the implications of distance education in training/development, higher education, and K-12 public schools. The authors' believe that distance education has come a long way over the years in its usefulness and effectiveness in all areas of society but it still has a long way to go. According to the information presented in these articles, the key issues that currently affect distance education are lack of trained instructors, economic factors, organizational change, and quality instructional courses based on proven educational strategies and theories. I have to agree based upon the information provided by the authors that these factors can hinder the progression of distance education. Luckily, knowledgeable instructors are working on ensuring that online education will continue to improve and be a viable alternative to traditional schools.


Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70–75. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's title.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66–70. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's title.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63–67.Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's title.

Jennifer M. Jarvis, M.Rd.Ed.

7 comments:

  1. I agree with the lack of training for instructors is one of the major problems affecting distance education. In order for distance education to meet the needs of all of its learners, instructors should know how to deliver instruction to meet the varying needs, which can prove to be a challenge without physically being able to interact with the students.

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  2. I agree. I see that to be one of the biggest instructional challenges facing distance education teachers. It is very difficult to meet someone's needs in a virtual environment. Good point. Thanks for the comment.

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  3. Technological training for teachers through professional development and related institutional means is one of my pet peeves in education today. But I would be remiss in my roles as a technology instructor and close observer if I didn't point out the insurmountable, internal financial odds all teachers face today, especially at the elementary and secondary levels.

    Professional development is seemingly a luxury for many school districts today, and coupled with longer class periods, fewer faculty members, and a highly policized governing school board or commission, the chance of sustaining or augmenting technology training for teachers is slim to none.

    Thanks for touching on an item of universal importance.

    Fred Davis

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  4. Fred,
    Thanks for your response. From the few years experience I have had in the classroom I have noticed the exact circumstances you mentioned. Not enough funds for thurough training and board members who are to political minded to care much about technology training. I'm not sure how to solve this problem. Maybe we can work together for a solution, or at least a beginning to start from.
    Thanks,
    Jenny Jarvis

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  5. Jennifer,
    You bring up some very good points. So many times teachers are left with technology they are not able to use due to lack of knowledge and experience. Sometimes they are given the training but are not followed up on after the training. They need assistance once they get back to their classrooms with their head full of this new knowledge. Unfortunately, it is during this time (when they are actually trying to implement it) nobody is available to answer questions or walk you through steps. It is totally two different concepts; listening to training and actually implementing what you've learned. I feel you have to have training during both steps of the process or learning really isn't happening. I try to remember to incorporate this in my own teaching.

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  6. Jenny:

    The more I read about the lack of trained professionals in the field of distance learning, the more excited I am to complete this degree. What are you planning to do with all this new found knowledge?

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  7. The gap between distance learning classrooms and traditional classroom learning has closed significantly over the past 10 years. We are almost at the point that technology is moving faster than the educational need for it. By this, it seems that there is technology out there for the distant learning institutions that can enhance the learning process. There problem is that, in some cases both the student, teachers, and administration lack the training to implement it. This is especially a challenge for those students (usually, over 55 years old) that are on the backside of the digital divide. Many of these students did not grow up with technology therefore, it is a greater challenge to learn and utilize it.

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