Module 2 Blog

George Siemens discussed the growing acceptance of distance education in today’s corporate and educational spheres, including three possible elements of distance education that are creating more effective learning experiences and giving distance education an identity of its own distinct from F2F courses: (a) global diversity, (b) communication, and (c) collaborative interaction. Do you agree or disagree with his view? Select one of these three elements for your reflection in this module and respond to the following in your blog:

• How has this element evolved?
• What online tools are available today to facilitate these interactions among learners?

Communication has evolved over the years not only for personal use, but also in educational settings.  According to Siemens (2008) distance education is becoming greatly accepted because more people are experiencing effective communication online (Laureate Education).  I believe in a sense, communication and collaboration goes hand in hand with each other.  Without growth in communication, there would not have been a shift in how we use it to collaborate.  Today, the tools we use to communicate make it possible for us to connect with each other all over the world with the touch of a button.  People can be in many different places, but still have the luxury of seeing each other in live time.  Distance education allows for students to communicate in numerous ways, and therefore, learning increases along with quality.  Siemens (2008) mentioned new communication technologies will continue to have a positive impact on distance education in the future (Laureate Education).  I could not agree more with George Siemens and his many insights regarding communication and its affect in distance education.  New communication developments have ultimately helped distance education learner's receive a more meaningful experience.

There are many online tools available today to facilitate interactions among learners.  As communication technology improves in quality, distance education will become more distributed, greater contributions will be made from experts around the world, and there will be an increased use of multimedia (Laureate Education, 2008).  E-mail, blogs, wikis, discussion boards, text message, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Podcasts, webinars, and Pinterest are only a few of the tools available today. The creation of smart phones has helped to increase interaction between users.  Nowadays, people have everything synced up to their smart phones.  The moment an email arrives, text message, or Facebook notification we are alerted and able to immediately respond.  Embedded cameras in phones and tablets allow people to chat face to face via Skype or FaceTime.  We have the ability to send pictures and documents back a forth with each other.  Access to the internet is all around us, and literally in the palm of our hand.  We can easily use these tools to communicate with our classmates, learning groups, and/or instructors.  I have participated in many webinars with the librarians across my school district.  This granted us the flexibility to connect wherever we were and hold a live chat.  Personally, I enjoyed being able to attend a meeting via webinar in the comfort of my own home with my feet propped up.  Last semester at Walden University, our instructor assigned everyone to a group.  This allowed us to receive and provide detailed feedback to each other regarding our individual projects.  We communicated through a group Wiki we created, email, and text message.  These tools allow us to participate in conversations outside of what we have normally had, and with those that are not like-minded (Laureate Education, 2008).  

Find at least two blog posts by other educators on this topic and reflect on their positions in your blog. Include links to these other blogs as you critique their ideas.

Reggie Malz blogged about a course in which the only way to communicate was via email, and this could only be done with the instructor.  This would definitely become frustrating, especially if the instructor is not efficient with their emails.  I agree the Class Café does promote interaction and communication with both the students and instructor.  This is a place students can ask other students for their help or opinions regarding certain issues.  Learners can connect here and share numbers, blog links, skype info, etc.  The issue that was experienced here was a result of a poorly designed and implemented class.  I also question if the professor even “wanted” to teach the course or if he was just told to follow the already designed class with no prior training. I believe Reggie Malz does support and promote communication, and agrees with George Siemens’ insights. 

Jennifer Piner is on board with George Siemens, and also shares some of the same thoughts as I do.  I agree with Jennifer that if distance education is implemented correctly it will offer a better learning experience and collaborative interaction.  Jennifer agrees that being able to effectively and efficiently communicate is what drives distance education.  New communication tools are opening doors to how we communicate with instructors and classmates regarding assignments, projects, discussions, and questions.  I like that Jennifer brought up the point communication can provide students options.  This is something I believe many university instructors forget because they stick with what they know or what has always been done.  The moment they branch out and allow students to try something new, they will see an increase in meaningful learning. 

 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). The Future of Distance Education. United States:

            Walden University.