Elements of Distance Education Diffusion - Collaborative Interaction

Collaborative interaction has transformed distance education into an effective learning experience and has helped form its’ own identity in education. In the more traditional or F2F format of education, one is given the opportunity to collaborate because of the students involved a given course. In distance education, one is given the opportunity to collaborate based on the individuals in a given course, as well. Where then does the distinct difference between these two formats lie? The difference is found in the type of students involved. While F2F formats are beneficial, one is confined to the limitations of the expertise around them. Distance education is brings the idea of collaborative interaction to new levels only hoped to be attained through F2F formats. The Internet is global and reaches various intelligences on certain topics. The need for this collaborative interaction drives the courses into learning opportunities that only F2F courses dare to consider. The various areas of expertise that distance education courses offer will assist online students in being well rounded and in having a level of expertise in the subject matter that they normally would not have attained in a F2F course. This collaborative interaction can be found in numerous innovations found in distance education courses today.

Through online tools, such as Microsoft SharePoint, Blogs, Wikis, and podcasts, the medium in which one collaborates is very diverse. Online collaboration tools are emerging in education today at an alarming rate. These different innovations provide ways in reaching far greater numbers of students than ever imagined before. They provide a collaborative interaction that is easily attainable from any location, which allows the learning process to be available 24 hours a day. George Siemens proposes the idea that online education is gaining popularity because geographic distance is not as significant to learning as it was 5 years ago. He goes on to explain that there is an increase in online communication and populations have a practical experience with new technologies, which motivate learners with distance education. This only goes to show that distance education is providing students with more effective learning experiences and these learning experiences are only as effective as the collaborative interaction tht takes place within the course itself.

Distance Education and the Next Generation

The next generation is in dire need for distance education programs. Through the articles written by Moller, Foshay, and Huett (et al), one can definitely see this to be true. These articles show that the technologies available in distance education will help to target a larger audience than in more traditional formats. In fact, in these articles, Moller gives us the idea that various and new ways in using technologies must be accepted by educators and basically if educators use these technologies in the same way as they did before rather than in a more efficient manner then that is wasteful (Moller, 2008). Learning new technologies related to distance education might be a hindrance for some educators, but these educators are becoming few and far between.

In the video by Dr. Simonson, he states that distance education is becoming more and more widely accepted (Laureate Education, 2008). I feel this to be very true as several of my peers have stated in their views of distance education and this video. With computers being in most homes, with reliable Internet access, there is no reason that distance education programs cannot thrive in our technology driven society.

The evolution of distance education into the next generation is already happening, in my viewpoint. The positions of the authors of the articles and the video seem to hit the head on the nail, so to speak. Distance education programs are going to be essential in the development of leaders for the business, education and political industries. For these reasons, we as educators must assist the process in evolving distance education programs to the next generation.