Encyclopedia Britannica defines distance learning as the “form of education in which the main elements include physical separation of teachers and students during instruction and the use of various technologies to facilitate student-teacher and student-student communication” (Berg, 2016). Distance learning provides a flexibility that conventional classrooms cannot. Flexibility seems to be the most common motivation for students and workers at a company.
“The emergence of distance learning
and e-learning courses programs has provided the American population easy
access to education. The flexibility and functionality of e-learning courses
have to lead to the further evolution of the learning landscape in the US.
Similarly, E-learning services are utilized across the United States corporate
(SMBs and Large enterprises) sector for executing training and other
cooperative activities like project work and assignments.” (United States
eLearning Market, 2022).
Distance learning has been impactful
in my education and work career. In the past, I considered distance learning as
an opportunity to complete a course using the learning style I was most comfortable
with. I was motivated by the lack of supervision and set schedule to follow. I
thought I could redesign the curriculum of an online course to fit my needs. Clearly,
I was not accustomed to the commitment, discipline and time management skills
required to successfully complete a distance learning course.
As a freshman at my University, I took
advantage of the freedom from physically attending my class. I could complete
my coursework from anywhere via the internet. More important to me at the time
was the ability to work full-time, while taking online courses. Due to the lack
of commitment, discipline, and time management, my grades suffered tremendously
the first year if undergrad. By my sophomore year, I made drastic changes. I
learned how to schedule time for my online courses, without interruptions. I
cut back my work hours to part-time. Lastly, I participated in study groups held
on campus.
Post
undergrad, I have worked for companies that are technology-driven. I have
worked as an IT Analyst, Project Manager, Media Specialist, and Librarian. Each
position required me to be tech savvy. I
created learning and training modules for employees in the corporate sector.
Many of the employees were in other cities. They were required to complete the
learning and training modules online. Also, I was responsible for conducting
online meetings with partners in other countries. I created learning and training
modules for teachers, students, and parents in the educational sector.
The recent pandemic has increased
the demand for distance learning. Heng writes,
”COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked
havoc on every aspect of society. It has caused profound disruption to the
education system as governments around the world have temporarily closed
educational institutions to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Face-to-face
classes have been canceled and moved online, bringing about the rise of online
learning that has allowed learners to continue their education.” (Heng, 2020)
Distance learning has proven to be impactful in the lives of
students and workers across the globe. As an Instructional Designer, I plan to
be an asset to the distance learning community by providing successful learning
and training experiences.
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References
Berg, G. and Simonson, M. (2016, November 7). distance
learning. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/distance-learning
Heng, Kimkong & Sol, Koemhong. (2020). Online learning
during COVID-19: Key challenges and
suggestions to enhance
effectiveness.
United States eLearning Market, Size, Share, Forecast
2022-2027, Industry Trends,
Growth, Outlook, Impact of
COVID-19, Company Analysis. February 2022.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-states-elearning-market-report-2022-2027-high-adoption-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-and-machine-learning-ml-solutions-by-various-non-academic-and-academic-institutions-driving-growth-301538169.html
