Week 8 Reflection

What do you think the perceptions of distance learning will be in the future (in 5–10 years; 10–20 years)?

    The ubiquitous use of technology, including mobile and communication technologies, has caused a large part of the global population to be comfortable conducting online discourse to keep in touch with family and friends or to collaborate with colleagues in business, education, and government settings (Siemen n.d. Walden University).  As more people become accepting of these technologies, so too is their acceptance of distance or online education (Siemen n.d. Walden University), especially if it is designed with sound pedagogical and multimedia principles and is easy to use.  As technology continues to advance with greater contributions from experts around the world and people become more comfortable with the online learning experience and the use of multimedia, games, and simulations in learning, distance learning will become the preferred mode of instruction in the future (Siemens, ,n.d. Walden University). 

     It is my belief that in 10-20 years, distance learning may be the only form of instruction, making higher education campuses obsolete.  The recent boom in artificial intelligence is heralding a new era of robotics, holograms, and intuitive technology which will no doubt impact work and education as we know it today. I feel that the field of education will be forced to use more competency-based models of learning assessment if the workforce is to survive this change and the preparedness of the workforce in using these technologies will determine economic dominance in the new world order.  As educators at the crux of such a technological phenomenon, what we do next will determine the fate of our country’s economy and educators must change teaching practices quickly if they are to divert this calamity.   According to Wang and Torisi-Steele ( 2015), “humankind is in the midst of the most dramatic technological revolution in history.”  According to Naidu (2014), distance learning is here to stay and will significantly impact future educational practice and hopefully increase access to education for the poor. 

How can you as an instructional designer, be a proponent for improving societal perceptions of distance learning?

After being treated as the unwanted step-child of higher education, distance education is finally gaining acceptance by mainstream education, becoming a more viable and sustainable option for many non-traditional students. As an instructional designer, I would try to improve the societal perceptions of distance learning through consistent, innovative, and user-friendly instructional designs that conform to sound pedagogical and multimedia principles.  By proving the effectiveness of distance instruction, students and society at large will witness its merits, and  it will become the preferred mode of instruction not just for its convenience but the methodologies. 

To accomplish this change in distance education designs, I would make or suggest the following 

changes in teaching practices: coaching instead of lecturing, use of logging on data instead of attendance to measure engagement, use of performance standards and competency for grading, and use active learning experiences and customized learning resources instead of texts where possible ( Simonson et al., 2019). As an instructional designer, changing the perceptions of distance education will involve becoming an ambassador by representing it in my designs and through training and blogs. 

How will you be a positive force for continuous improvement in the field of distance education?

Although distance education is gaining popularity globally, especially among nontraditional students balancing work, life, and school,  the teaching practices are not keeping up with the rapid technological advances. However, despite the rapid advancement in technology, education has remained relatively unchanged, and the adoption of the technology, in most cases, replicates traditional instructional strategies ( Wang and Torisi-Steele , 2015). 

Instead of using new teaching practices with these new technologies, distance education is locked into traditional approaches, and the technology is used superficially for the convenience and flexibility of delivery ( Wang and Torisi-Steele, 2015). Merriam & Bierema, 2014 cited by Wang and Torisi-Steele, (2015), refers to these traditional teaching practices as the old teacher-directed education presented online.   To change the teaching practices, I would collaborate with the stakeholders and conduct training for professors to include reflections and use of the Critical theory to promote change in their traditional ideology regarding pedagogical practices ( Wang and Torisi-Steele, 2015).  Changing teaching practices involves changing ideologies which is a more complex undertaking than changing technical practices (Wang and Torisi-Steele , 2015).  I would conduct training to expose them to a variety of assessment and lesson development activities and the learning principles and research that support student-centered educational philosophies and theories in the hope of changing their cultural norms.  According to Wang and Torisi-Steele , (2015), The critical theory is a framework that would be ideal for changing ideologies as it challenges existing assumptions and ideologies and offers opportunities to try strategies that can help them gain deeper insight into the problems regarding their teaching practices and find solutions for change. 

    To change their teaching practices, I would have faculty examine their own attitudes and beliefs about pedagogy and the role of technology in teaching and then compare it to their current practices (Brancato, 2003, Cranton & King , 2003, cited by Wang and Torisi-Steele, 2015).  

Then, with the gap in new and old pedagogy identified, I would begin training on new teaching ideologies, knowledge, and skills in the hope of replacing their existing traditional assumptions.

References

Simonson, M., Zvacek, S., & Smaldino, S. (2019). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (7th ed.) Information Age Publishing.

Naidu, S. (2014). Looking back, looking forward: the invention and reinvention of distance education. Distance Education, 35(3), 263-270.

Seimens, G. (n.d) Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (n.d.).

Wang, V. C., & Torrisi‐Steele, G. (2015). Online Teaching, Change, and Critical Theory. New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, 27(3), 18-26.