Open and Distance Education Technologies

Distance learning is not something new to the world of education, having been around for many decades, but the creation of the Internet has opened up an entirely new way of utilizing this schooling option. Rather than having to send and receive all their physical materials and assignments through the postal service the distance learner can now access everything via their mobile device or computer at any time or place. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have also changed the way students interact with one another and their instructors compared to how it used to be done with mail-in courses.

The days of being on their own without the feeling of being in a community of like-minded fellow students or the guidance of their instructor are gone. MOOCs have made it possible for distance learners to contact their instructors and classmates almost immediately through the use of email, messaging, Skype, and many more. Additionally, modern technology has made it possible for students and teachers to interact with one another through online discussion boards and school portals (Blackboard, Sakai, etc.).

The development of such technologies as the pdf, digital books, and digital libraries has also made carrying around a “truckload” of expensive and heavy textbooks a thing of the past. The online learner can carry their entire school, along with books, library, classroom, teacher, and classmates, with them everywhere they go and access all of it at any time. If a student has a tablet/iPad/Kindle, smartphone/iPhone, or MacBook/laptop/Chromebook they can attend college or take classes regardless of how far away the nearest school is, whether or not they have the time or ability to attend a brick-and-mortar school, or if they have a job or family that results in scheduling conflicts.

Two open and distance education technologies that have the potential of enhancing adult learning are the MOOCs, such as MIT and Coursera, and the online school system, such as those accessed through the Blackboard and Sakai gateways.

One way to find out what schools or companies offer MOOCs and what types of courses there are is to check with a database such as edX or MOOC-List. MOOCs allow a person to learn about an almost endless selection of topics over the Internet. If a person wants to learn more about electronics, mathematics, English, or even all about wine, they can find an online course for it. Some of the most popular MOOCs are offered by Coursera, MIT, or Harvard, and include such topics as foreign languages, physics, English as a Second Language, and computer programming. While some MOOCs are still learner paced and have little (or no) instructor guidance, many are now a bit more scheduled with instructor input, assignment due dates, and exams.

Many MOOCs also offer free or low-cost options for those only wanting to acquire knowledge or a completion certificate, as well as a tuition-based diploma or college credit option for learners who want to get full credit for their learning. Many schools now allow students to take a CLEP exam in order to get credit for their previous life experiences, including knowledge gained from taking free MOOC courses. There is a MOOC out there for everyone, as there are options available for any topic or reason.

The online school system, made available through a gateway, is one of the most important distance technologies to be created so far in the world of education. In fact, many brick-and-mortar schools are now offering numerous courses and degree programs in this manner, while other schools have gone completely online (having no physical classrooms at all). Even those schools that do not offer online courses (or who have both online and physical classes) have turned to using digital gateways for their students, as well as electronic libraries, and digital books instead of paper textbooks.

Universities have discovered that it is less expensive and less stressful to operate an electronic school than it is one that is composed of numerous (often old) buildings, a huge staff, and that has thousands of students milling around (Towhidi, 2010). Additionally, students have found out that they can have a job, raise a family, and live anywhere in the world while still attending a college (and getting a degree) in another city, state, or even country (Towhidi, 2010).

With the inclusion of the electronic library and digital textbooks, these students are able to perform more in-depth research projects without being afraid that their needed journals, newspapers, or books are not available (checked out, at another library, or a non-borrowable reference book). After a quick search through the school’s electronic library, the student can locate a huge assortment of references and resources that they can then download in digital format for future use on any research project.

By using the school’s online gateway, such as Blackboard, the student can access learning modules, discussion boards, chat rooms, and their school’s email system, as well as being able to take care of their financial aid, class registration, and transcripts. They can also see what events might be planned, who might be offering internships or student job positions, and what their class or semester schedule might be.

Most schools that use a gateway system, such as Blackboard, also make themselves available to their students via any type of Internet capable device so that a learner can access their classroom, research for or write a paper, and turn-in their homework at any time from any place, as long as they have an Internet connection.

It is not likely that the brick-and-mortar university will completely disappear from the world of education (Buckridge, 2015). The modern development of many forms of open and distance learning technologies has made it possible for them to offer more choices to a wider variety of students than ever before (Penteliuc-Cotosman, 2006).

 This makes it possible for more people to attend college, resulting in a degree, an advancement in their career, or a new hobby (OnlineAndCampusSchools, 2015).

MOOCs, online school gateways, and the numerous technologies that go along with them have opened up the door to learning for anyone who wants it, making them some of the most important elements in today’s world of advancing educational technologies.

References

Buckridge, T. (2015, April 3). University bricks and mortar - Why they still matter. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/university-bricks-mortar-why-still-matter-tom-buckridge

OnlineAndCampusSchools. (2015). What is the difference between online college and brick-and-mortar schools?. Online and Campus Schools. Retrieved from http://www.onlineandcampusschools.com/first-time-student/online-college-and-brick-and-mortar-schools/

Penteliuc-Cotosman, D. (2006). The new multimedia educational technologies, used in open and distance learning. Anale. Seria Informatica, IV(I), 195-204.

Towhidi, A. (2010, August). Distance education technologies and media utilization in higher education. Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Aug_10/article01.htm