Change Fail!

One of the most important and overlooked project phases is the after-action review or project post-mortem .  If the project was successful, team members are often do not see the value in reviewing the actions and countermeasures taken throughout the project duration.  A project post-mortem will help identify what to keep doing and what strategies, tactics, and processes were beneficial.   If the project wasn’t successful or had many challenges throughout its duration, an analysis provides an opportunity to review what happened, identify warning signs which were missed, and discuss strategies for future use if the problem is encountered again (Greer, 2010).

When projects don’t go as planned, it can be difficult for a team member, sponsor, champion, or project lead to admit there was room for improvement in the approach.  One particular example is a project on developing a waste management system that still has not completed in over 10 months.  As I left the project to pursue other career interests, I had a post-mortem review with several key team members.  Unfortunately, there were no positives discussed that pertained to the project steps or phases.  Several areas of the project were identified as contributing to the problems seen on the project:

• Lack of definition
• Scope creep
• Lack of resources
• No support

Many of these issues could have been prevented in the beginning stages of the project.  Project management tools were not used, mainly due to the sponsor ’s direction.  The sponsor had his own particular way of running a project, which does not follow traditional project management (PM) principles, which affected the project lead since she was the sponsor's direct report.  There was no project charter, scope, or documentation other than a milestone list.  The only documentation created pertained to waste definitions and measurement systems.  Unfortunately, the project lead was not given responsibility, authority, or accountability and the sponsor dictated what they should do.

The project was severely constrained in terms of potential solutions.  The sponsor, yet again, told the project lead the exact solution he wanted to see, regardless of time, cost, headcount, and employee acceptance.  The primary stakeholders, managers of the area who were to adopt the solution, were highly resistive, but the sponsor ignored their concerns and directed the project lead to "tell them what they will be doing; don't hold their hand; and if they knew what was best for them they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with".

Scope creep was allowed to placate the stakeholders.  Even though the project lead pushed back on many of the changes made, stating that the project can be refined after the initial deliverables were met and providing information on why the changes were not feasible at the current time.  The sponsor, again telling the project lead what to do, allowed the changes because it kept the stakeholders engaged and semi-interested in the project.

Overall, the project should have not been started.  The timing was not right and communication, project planning, and personal/team dynamics harmed the project.  These areas are commonly identified as pitfalls and items to pay attention to to ensure a successful project in literature on change management (Beach, 2006; Portny et al, 2008, Allen & Hardin, 2008).  The project was not ran with a team approach, which caused many issues along the way (Scholtes, Joiner & Streibel, 2001).  Not having a clear, well articulated charter and deliverable that the group agreed upon was also an area that impacted the project (George, 2002).  Most importantly, the project sponsor threatened the project lead to do it his way becasue of the direct reporting relationship.  This made it extremely hard to use any project management tools, offer opinions and advice, and hold people accountable to their decisions.

 

Allen, S., & Hardin, P. C. (2008). Developing instructional technology products using effective project management practices. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 19(2), 72–97.  

Beach, L.R. (2006).  Leadership and the Art of Change.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage Publications, Inc.

George, M. (2002).  Lean Six Sigma. New York, NY:  McGraw-Hill.

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

 

Sholtes, P., Joiner, B., & Streibel, B.  (2001).  The TEAM Handbook (2^nd ed.). Madison, WI: Oriel

 
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

Lots of writing, but little posting

Since October, I've done a lot of writing.  Some for school, but most of it came as a release after James' murder.  The only thing is I never released most of it since I wanted to go back and edit the posts, which never happened.  So today, I'm combining some of the posts and publishing them.  Maybe in the future I'll go back and edit them and clean them up the way I envisioned when I began writing.
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Over the past two months I have been reflecting on my family and our experiences together.  It's been two months since James was murdered, with the preliminary examination occurring yesterday and surfacing more memories of my family's time together.  Coming from a large and close extended family, there are many memories of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandmother growing up.  With about a 15 year age gap between sets of cousins, it's been interesting to see the younger one's reactions when us old-timers tell stories of our youth.

There are certain things that my large, Polish family did together while I was growing up.  Every Sunday was spent at my Grandmother's house and all my cousins were there.  We had a blast playing games together and picking on each other.  Well, maybe we didn't enjoy ALL our time together, but it turned into fond memories by all involved overtime.  Our parents would go on vacation together and my grandmother would watch between 4-6 of us at a time.  Boy, the stories we can tell these days!  But after she passed away and we all began to grow up, our younger cousins missed out on that opportunity.  They think we are crazy when we tell them of the games we played, our sleeping bag races, the hide-n-seek games where we would "forget" to look for someone, our trips to the corner store to buy gum, or the absolutely crazy times we had at the "dirt hills" where we would ride our bikes down a vertical drop with several trees in our way.  The seven of us were best friends and have so many good memories of our times together.

The younger set missed out on that opportunity to play and get into trouble together every weekend.  At the funeral, through emails, and at Christmas dinner, the younger ones have started to ask us to tell more stories about what we did at Grandma's house, what their father was like before he married and had kids, and how we all survived without maiming each other.  (Okay, there might have been a few stitches here and there, but nothing serious!)  The best thing I've learned from all the reminiscing we are beginning to do is we all remember different pieces of our youth.  Even though we've grown apart in both life and geographic location, we remain connected through our memories.  No single one of us can paint a complete picture of our past without the rest of us to help them fill in the void that old age (or conscious effort) leaves.

Future of Distance Learning

As online and distance learning continues to mature, I believe it will gain more and more acceptance. The idea of obtaining a degree based on online work, as defined by Simonson et al (2009) as at least 80% of the curriculum delivered online, will become more mainstream as more people matriculate into the workforce and prove it can be a successful method in education. I think people still associate online degrees with correspondence courses from the 1970’s and ‘80’s or with diploma mills of the 1990’s and 2000’s. Part of the perception comes from virtual schools that do not offer a physical location. These schools are unable to make statements as “same faculty/classes/standards as traditional, face-to-face classes”. Studies performed by Gambescia and Paolucci (2009) point out the difference statements such as the above make in the perception of an online program. Since online schools are unable to make such statements, they may be unfairly judged and have to work harder at proving their value and conformance to brick and mortar schools offering online courses. 

In the future, online universities will become more accepted as equivalent to face-to-face schools. This acceptance will come, in part, from the growing number of graduates from such schools. As they begin to apply their degrees and knowledge to jobs and real-life applications, the negative perception of online schools will diminish. Also, as the number of online courses offered by traditional schools grows, the stigma will lessen. Time will be the largest factor in gaining acceptance. In the next 5 to 10 years, online learning will continue to grow regardless of if the courses are offered through a traditional school or virtual, online university. In the next 10 to 20 years, I think all universities will offer online classes and public perceptions will be positive. I also think that as more high schools offer online classes and become virtual, acceptance will grow and become commonplace. Schools such as Insight, offered by Washington state (Shaw, 2006), are becoming more accepted for high school, which in turn will translate to acceptance for higher education schools. In the world of instructional design, the negative perceptions can be minimized by offering high quality curricula and keeping up with technology changes. The article “Issues in Distance Learning” written in 1995 (Sherry) is still valid today. Instructional designers (ID) should pay careful attention to the use of technology, visual imagery, communication, and active, inquiry, and constructivist-type of learning. By making classes interactive and participative, the stigma of being a diploma mill will be lessened and students will be able to maximize their value of the course. 

I believe both lean and six sigma methods can be successfully applied to education as suggested by Emiliani (2004) and Hargrove and Burge (2002). With my personal background in continuous improvement tools, specifically lean and six sigma, I hope to apply these skills to the ID process and learning process. Items to look at in distance education include determining the value for the students and companies they will be employed at, the number of transactions a learner makes within the class room environment, effective use of media, graphics and text, and improving retention rates of both learners and knowledge. As tools and methods of online delivery evolve, it will be up to us as ID professionals to ensure our messages remain clear and effective. 

References 

Emiliani, M (2002). Improving business school courses by applying lean principles and practices. Retrieved December 26, 2010 from http://www.members.nae.edu/nae/caseecomnew.nsf/0754c87f163f599e85256cca00588f49/862570b6006873128625724b007511b1/$FILE/ATT131QJ/Lean%20Course1.pdf 

Hargrove, S and Burge, L. (2002). Developing a six sigma methodology for improving retention in engineering education. Retrieved December 26, 2010 from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.20.6603&rep=rep1&type=pdf 

Shaw, L. (2006). First online high school in state planned for fall. Seattle Times. Retrieved December 26, 2010 from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2002981361_insight09m.html 

Sherry, L. (1995). Issues in Distance Learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4), 337-365. Charlottesville, VA: AACE. Retrieved November 3, 2010 from http://www.editlib.org/p/8937 

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

EDUC 6135 - Distance Learning

Designing an online class is different than a traditional face-to-face class.  Different strategies for planning, content, and evaluation are used in addition to delivery.  Unfortunately, I do not have a way to attach my pdf file to this post, so I will copy it below in addition to providing a link hosting the pdf.  The pdf can be found at: http://www.myhaikuclass.com/leanne.kozicki/pdffile

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As you begin to convert your traditional face-to-face class to a blended learning format, there are several items you should keep in mind.  In the rush of excitement to convert a class to an online format, the following should help ensure success in the process.

Pre-Planning

Designing a course for a blended learning environment, the first step is to determine what a face-to-face environment that an online environment doesn’t and vice versa.  Are there specific interactions, simulations, or activities that work better in one environment over the other?  This step will help you determine the content and structure of your blended learning class and what tools to use (Simonson et al, 2009; Cook & Dupras, 2004).

If your class is currently taught, you may have a good idea who your learners are and what their comfort level is with various technology-based tools.  If this is a new class, you may need to conduct a learner analysis to gauge their computer literacy and technology threshold.  It would be bad to plan on using complicated technology with all the bells and whistles when the target learners have rarely used a computer.

Once you have decided how to split the class into a face-to-face portion and an online portion, selected the technology tools to assist with the online delivery, the sequence of material should be planned.  Will each module be sequential?  Will the material be consistently presented?  For example, will the class always have a reading assignment, an online discussion, an in-person lecture, assignment, and then quiz?

Planning

After you’ve thought about technology use, course layout, and activities, you’ll need to start planning.  There are many factors to consider when planning for an online course and this by no means is a comprehensive guide.  Some items to keep in mind are:  an orientation needs to be developed, explanation of requirements for technology and participation, and ADA compliance (Gerson, 2000).

Learning techniques and styles that have proven to be adapted well to online environments include:  learner interaction, problem-based learning, self-directed learning, case-based learning, self-assessments, journals/portfolios, and feedback from peers and instructors (Cook & Dupras, 2004).  During your class conversion, determine which techniques and styles can be utilized and how to accomplish it.

Content

            As each module is broken down, an effective method to use is the E-CLASS model.  Each module should contain components to Explain, Clarify, Look, Act, Share, Self-Evaluate/Submit.  This method can be used to apply a consistent structure for each lesson or module taught (Gerson, 2000).

            If videos and other multimedia are to be used, plan to break the segments into duration of no longer than ten minutes. This will help keep students attention and allow them to process better.  If you wish to place instructional materials such as reading and textbooks online, try to keep the material in smaller chunks as well.  Learners may have to download more information, but they will be able to locate is quicker when the material is in smaller, more discrete bundles (Simonson et al, 2009). 

            Discussions online have proven to be a valuable tool in distance learning (Simonson et al., 2009; Tam, 2000; Huang, 2002).  As an instructor, you need to prepare clear discussion topics as well as criteria for participation and grading.  As a rule of thumb, learners should be expected to post their thoughts to the original discussion and respond to at least two other students posting.  As an instructor, you should be prepared to respond to approximately one in every four posts, selecting different students each discussion (Simonson et al., 2009).

Changing Role

As you transition to a blended-learning or online environment, you will learn that your role is also changing.  Learners will have the opportunity to elaborate and be more self-directed in the new environment.  Your role will be to guide and provide additional insight by asking questions or gently leading learners back to the purpose of the exercise (Simonson et al., 2009; Huang 2002; Tam, 2000).

Checklist for Online Classes

c  Technology requirements defined

c  ADA compliant

c  Active learning encouraged – learner interactions, self-directed, problem based, self-assessments, and/or reflections are included

c  Grading criteria is clearly defined and posted

c  Discussions are used as part of the learning

c  Participation criteria is defined and posted for discussions

c  Instructor can respond to one in every 4 discussion posts

c  Media is available in 10 minute lengths

c  Effective and varied use of media, including audio, graphics, and video

c  Modules follow the E-CLASS model:

§  Explain

§  Clarify

§  Look

§  Act

§  Share

§  Self Evaluate/Submit

References

Cook, D. A. and Dupras, D. M. (2004), A Practical Guide To Developing Effective Web-based Learning. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 19: 698–707. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30029.x           

Huang, H. (2002). Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(1), 27-37. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Gerson, S. M. (2000). E-CLASS: Creating a Guide to Online Course Development for Distance Learning Faculty. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 3(4), Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson. 

Open Courseware (MIT)

For the past 6 or 7 years, I have periodically used MIT's OpenCourseWare (OCW) to enhance my knowledge about specific topics or gain a better understanding of how to present material to an audience.  MIT debuted the concept of Open Courses in 2002 and currently offer over 2000 courses online.  Course material such as lecture notes, presentations, references, assigned readings, practice problems, tests, video, and audio files are available to the general public for their benefit.  In general, as stated on their website, the materials are designed to support a "dynamic classroom interaction" and people viewing and working through the classes will not receive credit (MIT, 2010).  In general, my impression of material offered is an extension of face-to-face (F2F) materials as the website states, enabling an individual to refresh or expand their current knowledge of a subject. 

For this particular analysis, I took a closer look at a course entitled "Introduction to Lean Six Sigma Methods" which was originally conducted in 2008.  To provide full disclosure, I have previously worked with MIT's Lean Advancement Institute, including one of the instructors credited in the material.  The class provides video lectures available on YouTube and files available on iTunesU lasting approximately 30-45 minutes each,  lecture notes, exercises, and some supplemental materials. The course was analyzed against the following questions:

• Is the course designed for a distance learning environment?
• Are recommendations by Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek followed?
• Are there activities that maximize learning?

Based on my observations of the class, in addition to the About OCW web page information, the course is not designed for a distance learning environment, Simonson et al's recommendations are not followed, but there are activities which maximize learning for the learner, although some activities are best performed simultaneously by a group of people.  Oblinger and Hawkins (2006) make the distinction of providing course content online and creating a learning environment online.  "Introduction to Lean Six Sigma" provides content but does not create a learning environment to foster communication and collaboration.   Oblinger and Hawkins also ask the question, "If a course is simply the equivalent of its content, why are courses not defined by books rather than classrooms and faculty?"  This is the case for "Introduction to Lean Six Sigma", where the content and F2F learner/instructor interactions are made available to view, but no interaction for the distance learner exists.  Simonson et al (2009) also echo the same sentiments about posting content and not providing an avenue for interactivity.  They provide a term that has evolved from merely posting content online and considering it a course:  shovelware.

Simonson et al also list several recommendations for creating and teaching online courses.  Many of these recommendations revolve around teacher-learner interaction by keeping learners informed, testing learner's knowledge, applying adult learning principles, and defining course outcomes.  "Introduction to Lean Six Sigma" does provide learning outcomes from the modules presented, but lacks the instructor-learner interaction described in the book Teaching and Learning at a Distance.  Due to these items, the class analyzed would fall into a Cycle 1 type course.  Cycle 1 courses are courses which include basic technologies such as PowerPoint and video-taped lectures (Simonson et al, 2009).

However, one of the strengths of the course, even though it is classified as Cycle 1, is the activities and supplemental material provided to distance learners.  These activities can enhance the learning and understanding of the topics presented.  The activities are a type of simulation that bring to life the concepts the instructors are speaking about.  Morrison, Ross, and Kemp (2007) state that simulations work well in small group formats and promote active learning.  Some of the activities presented in "Introduction to Lean Six Sigma" can be performed alone and promote the type of deep, active learning Morrison, Ross, and Kemp's work details.

Overall, the course provides useful information and can help an individual looking to gain more knowledge of lean six sigma.  Even though the course was not designed for online or distance learning, it can help a self-paced, inquisitive individual learn more about the topic.  Having personally been involved in teaching a derivative of the course, as well as a student myself, it is a great reference and memory jogger of the actual course.  My conclusion is that the online course should not replace the actual F2F course as it stands today.


References

MIT OpenCourseWare. (no date).  Retrieved December 5, 2010 from http://ocw.mit.edu/about/

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., & Kemp, J. E. (2007). Designing effective instruction (5th ed.). San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Murman, E.,  McManus, H., Haggerty, A., and Weigel, A. (2008)  16.660 Introduction to Lean Six Sigma Methods, January IAP 2008. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), Accessed 05 Dec, 2010 from:  http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-660-introduction-to-lean-six-sigma-methods-january-iap-2008/ 

Oblinger, D. and Hawkins, B. (2006) The Myth About Online Course Development.  EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 41, no. 1 (January/February 2006): 14–15.  Retrieved December 4, 2010 from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume41/TheMythaboutOnlineCourseDevelo/158037

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Week 3: Distance Learning Technology

Scenario 3: Asynchronous Training

In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.

Recommendation: 

In response to the above situation and scenario, I suggest using podcasting technology with an interactive quiz to deliver safety modules across all shifts.  There are several types of podcasts to select from, depending on the ease and comfort of the training staff.  The first is a narrated PowerPoint presentation that provides step-by-step graphics and narration demonstrating the best practices used to operate the machinery.  Videos are also able to be embedded in PowerPoint.  The next is an Adobe Flash media file combining images, graphics, video, and audio.  Other acceptable media formats exist to create podcasts, but at a minimum, it should include audio and graphics to be considered successful.

The podcast can be deployed via several means, depending on the security and needs of the company.  The preference is to place the podcast in an LMS or CMS that can track employee participation and determine if a specific employee viewed the podcast or not.  Other options include placing the podcast on a server and sending a link to all employees, uploading to iTunes U, or placing the file on a management system like SharePoint.

A quiz will also be needed to support the supervisors' need to have employees demonstrate learning.  If an LMS or CMS is being used to organize and administer the safety modules, an interactive quiz can be used which incorporates videos, graphics, audio, and text.  Moodle has this capability and other CMS packages like Haiku have similar capabilities.  Another option is to use SurveyMonkey to administer the test and track participation and results.

Rationale:
Podcasting can be successful for safety training.  Because podcasting takes advantage of images and sound, use of two or more media types will help employees retain information by using what is known as the dual-code theory (Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., Gredler, M., 2008; Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).  This application meets Simonson et al (2009) characteristics of an effective podcast:  each piece of machinery can be broken down and safety practices can be explained with the help of imagery and verbal cues within 10 minutes; the training will be part of an ongoing initiative, making each single podcast part of a larger event and program; if best practices change over time, the podcasts can be updated and quickly deployed with new revisions.  Several studies support the effectiveness of podcasting, especially when dealing with spatially and/or geographically separated learners.  Lee and Chan (2007) concluded in their study that learners felt podcasts were beneficial by clarifying and enhancing subject material.  Lonn and Teasley (2009) had similar conclusions in their study, stating that podcasting can help students learn by allowing self-monitoring and self-assessment to occur.


Several examples exist which showcase podcasting as a learning tool.  iTunes U is probably the most recognizable example.  MIT also has an open course, which provides lesson materials, including media files.  Of course, YouTube also provides countless files on everything imaginable -- from music videos to instructional videos.  Here are a sample of YouTube videos:  ear plug safety, personal protective equipment, and hardware simulation and training.

Overall, the use of podcasts and a test will be the most effective for covering all shifts at the plant. The stand-alone modules can illustrate the best practices with audio and visual imagery, be rapidly deployed, quickly edited if needed, and be part of an over-arching site message.
  

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The technology of distance education [DVD]. In EDUC 6135. Baltimore, MD.

Lee, M., and Chan, A. (2007) Reducing the Effects of Isolation and Promoting Inclusivity for Distance Learners through       Podcasting.  Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE  January 2007 ISSN 1302–6488, Volume: 8 Number: 1 Article: 7 Retrieved from:  http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=ED494811 

Lonn, S., Teasley, S. (2009) Podcasting in higher education: What are the implications for teaching and learning?. The 

Internet and Higher Education (12-2), Pages 88-92. ISSN 1096-7516, DOI: 10.1016/j.iheduc.2009.06.002.

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction  (Laureate custom edition). 

New York: Pearson.  

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson. 

Distance Learning

Distance learning is gaining popularity in today's world, whether it be within companies or within educational institutions.  But what is distance learning and how is it defined?  To me, distance learning is the process used to acquire knowledge from a reputed organization, institution, or instructor where the learner and instructor are geographically separated.  The process involves interaction, including feedback from both the learner and instructor.  I do not feel like correspondence or self-paced study truly fit my idea of distance learning because, in my mind at least, there is little interaction between the learner and instructor.  In these types of learning environments, I primarily see the instructor's role as grading assignments and tests and not as helping to transfer knowledge between the two parties.  In Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (2009), the authors define distance learning as "institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated and where interactive telecommunication systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors (p.32)."  What stands out to me is the specific inclusion of interactive telecommunication systems within the definition.  I believe the authors' definition, as well as a revised copy of my own, is independent of industry, profession, or technical knowledge of an individual.

Having experienced several types of distance learning, I find many fit the evolution of distance learning as documented by researchers and individuals in the instructional design (ID) fields.  Correspondence, or self-paced study, are purported to be over 100 years old (Simonson et al, 2009; Imel, S., 1998; Sherry, L., 1995) and are recognized to be the first forms of distance learning.  I had previously been enrolled in a self-paced study class where I was given the materials to learn on my own.  There was no interaction with the instructor or other students regarding the learning aspect.  The instructor's role was to grade my exams, not to teach, share knowledge, or provide feedback.  This was my least favorite type of learning, mainly because there was no interaction with anyone.  I had to hire a local tutor to help answer my questions and draw connections to real life examples.  The fact that it was a differential equations class didn't help either.

The next distance learning class I experienced was a taped lecture, similar to what broadcast television offered in the 1950's (Simonson et al, 2009).  This time, I was in the class that was taped and the tapes were mailed to a sister school, approximately 500 miles away.  I remember being glad I was in the class that was taped and not viewing the tapes.  Questions I had were answered in real time, material was clarified when needed, and we were able to review homework problems that specifically gave us difficulty in class.  I recall feeling a bit sorry for the remote students not being able to engage with the instructor as were able to to.

Most recently, I have been enrolled in a distance learning university.  While the concept seems new, distance teaching universities have been around since the 1960's and 70's (Simonson et al, 2009).  The program I am enrolled in takes advantage of technological advances such as two-way communication and media programs which are streamed on demand.  The use of technology in learning has been slowly evolving, with the largest explosion occurring in the late 1980's and 1990's (Imel, S.,  1998; Sherry, L., 1995).  I have learned the most from courses closely fitting my above description.  These classes used technology such as discussion boards, email, and Web 2.0 tools and required learners to collaborate on projects.  Instructors provided quick feedback regarding learner's work, within a day or two.  With the use of technology, learner's have an experience more closely related to traditional, face-to-face (F2F) learning.

The future of distance learning will continue to evolve as technology evolves.  I echo Imel's (1998) sentiments that distance learning will offer more rich interactions, mimicking interactions found in face-to-face learning environments.  While the methods used in distance classes will be different than F2F classes, the goals and objectives for learning will remain the same.  Moller, Forshay & Huett (2008) mention the move to a blended learning environment, where distance education and traditional F2F components will become more popular in the future.  I have already begun to see this at some universities, colleges, and high schools.

Overall, the future changes and possibilities to distance learning will be tied into technology advances.  I cannot begin to predict what that will look like, much like no one knew in 1950 how we would be capable of learning from a distance in 2010.  The trend we are currently seeing with more acceptance and popularity of distance learning will continue to increase.  Distance learning will not replace F2F classes, but will augment and complement traditional classes.  The future I envision and direction we seem to be headed fits my personal definition of distance learning.  My revised definition of distance learning is: distance learning is the process used to acquire knowledge from a reputed organization, institution, or instructor where the learner and instructor are geographically separated and uses technology and telecommunication for interaction, including feedback from both the learner and instructor. 

Elements of Effective Distance Learning

References

Imel, S. (1998). Distance Learning. Myths and Realities. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 52(4), 66-70. doi:10.1007/s11528-008-0179-0.

Sherry, L. (1995). Issues in Distance Learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4), 337-365. Charlottesville, VA: AACE. Retrieved November 3, 2010 from http://www.editlib.org/p/8937.

 

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.