Module 1 Updated

After reading the articles by Moller, Huett, Foshay, and Coleman, and listening to Simonson’s video programs, they all implement similar qualities on the evolution of distance education.   From the virtual schools to the hands on schools, I agree that distance education needs to evolve into the next generation and come together to meet the needs of all students. There is a need for newer methods of education that should meet the requirements of 21^st century instructional learning.  I also believe in the statement from Dr. Simonson video that “Equivalency Theory requires that distance and face-to-face education should have the same learning outcomes and provide equivalent learning to meet these outcomes" (Laureate, 2008). 

In Terry Anderson and Jon Dron’s (2011) research paper they examine the three generations of distance education pedagogy.  These three generations are:  cognitive-behaviorists, social constructivist, and connectivist pedagogy.  Anderson and Dron argue that the three generations can be effectively used to address the learning needs of 21^st century learners.  Cognitive-behaviorists focus on motivation, attitude, and mental barriers.  Social constructivist focuses on the social nature of knowledge and the minds of individual learners.   Connectivist pedagogy focuses on the networked connections and the learner’s role to have the capability to find and apply knowledge where it is needed.  With these three generations of distance education in mind, there has been much involvement with the models of teaching and learning.  According to Anderson and Dron (2011) distance education has evolved through many technologies within the three generations and no one generation is right or wrong.  The most important information is that distance education keeps evolving through different types of learning for the 21^st century.

Podcasts on Distance Learning:

1.  Title:  Distance Education for the Uninitiated

Date:  May 1, 2010

Website:  http://www.bncast.com/educ-today/educ-today-002-distance-education-for-the-uninitiated/

Description:  This is a podcast brought to you by Jeric Pena from the Brinks Notes Podcast Network on how Distance Education and how it works for teachers and students.  Jeri Pena has a weekly 30 minute broadcast on educational issues affecting teachers and students.   

2.  Title:   Distance Learning in the University of Maine System, Part 2
      Date:  December 28, 2010
      Website:  http://blogcast.svconline.com/?p=174
      Description:  This podcast is brought to you by Bennett Liles from the Sound & Video Contractor Blog Cast of a continued interview discussion with John Tiner, senior systems and design engineer from the University of Main.  Tiner talks about the way production is done in the distance learning studios that include monitoring of calls from students watching the programs.  

Anderson, T., & Dron, J. (2011). Three generations of distance education pedagogy. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), 80-97. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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.

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.

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 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer) (2008). Distance Education: The next generation. Baltimore, MD: Author

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer) (2008). Equivalency theory. Baltimore, MD: Author