Defining Distance Education


In my first post, I defined instructional technology. I thought that since I am in the Instructional Technology and Distance Education (ITDE) program at NSU that it would be a good idea to discuss distance education. Here we go!

In the Britannica Yearbook, distance education is defined through four tenants: institution-based, geographic separation, interactive telecommunications, and a learning group (Simonson, 2009). The institutions are specified as non-self study or nonacademic (Simonson, 2009).

Simonson and Seepersaud (2019) define distance education as education with physical separation of learners and instructors. Communications bridge the gap (Simonson & Seepersaud, 2019).

Simonson et al. (2019) define distance education as institution based, formal education, in which there is a separation of the learners and instructors. Interactive telecommunications connects instructors, learners, and resources (Simonson et al., 2019).

In each of the definitions, communications connect the learner, instructor, and resources used. The communications are interactive, whether synchronous or asynchronous. The types of communications used typically refer to electronic communications, such as email and learning management systems, but have also referred to the postal system and still refer to print. This aspect of distance education, using communications to connect one another, is what I saw as the unifying factor of distance education. Even when learners and instructors meet in real-time, such as on Zoom, they are using videoconferencing software to communicate. This is essentially the Simonson and Seepersaud (2019) definition and is the most broad. Personally, I thought this one did a holistic job of defining distance education without being too narrowing.

The Simonson et al. (2019) definition from the textbook is similar, but adds that distance education is formal. The 2009 Britannica Yearbook definition similarly includes that distance education is institution-based (Simonson, 2009). I had a little trouble with this part. What about informal distance education? If I go to codeacademy.com to learn how to code or thewoobles.com to learn how to crochet, I agree that both examples are self-study because they are self-directed. But then what happens when I become proficient in either activity? Didn’t I use distance education? Personally, I can’t decide for myself. My two examples are clearly not formal distance education, but I feel that they are more than just self-study. What do you all think?

The last aspect that I did not yet discuss is geographic separation. I agree that the instructor and learner are separated, whether by short distances or long ones. The communications bridge the gap, as each definition explains.

References

Simonson, M. (2009). Distance learning. In The 2009 book of the year (p. 231). Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Simonson, M. R., & Seepersaud, D. J. (2019). Distance education: Definition and glossary of terms (4th ed.). Information Age.

Simonson, M. R., Smaldino, S. E., & Zvacek, S. (2019). Teaching and learning at a distance : foundations of distance education (7th ed.). Information Age Publishing.

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