Education Scholar: Module 4a - Distance Learning
Module Overview
Introduction
Distance education, distributed learning, online teaching...the buzzwords abound as the World Wide Web and other technologies become an ever greater part of the educational landscape. This module will help you sort out the alphabet soup of distance learning terminology, and orient you to the state of the art in distance education. The module will also provide a framework to help you develop or adapt your own courses or programs for distance learners. To help you apply what you learn in this module, practical exercises have been provided to help you translate a portion of your course or program into a distance education mode.
Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of this module is introduce you to the scope and direction of distance education, and provide a framework to guide you in the preparation of instruction for distance learners. By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Define distance learning and the principles that underlie its implementation.
- State the core values of distance learning as stated by the American Council on Education.
- Compare and contrast various types of distance learning methods in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and cost-benefits.
- Describe a model and strategies for developing a distance learning experience.
- Develop a plan to integrate a distance learning experience into your own course or program.
- Discuss the current and future impact of distance education on health professions education.
Module Map
To view the sequence of concepts and learning activities that will enable you to achieve these objectives, select Map for Module 4A.
Module Materials
Readings from the following publications are assigned in Module 4A. They may be purchased online from www.amazon.com.
Cyrs TE, editor. Teaching and learning at a distance. what it takes to effectively design, deliver, and evaluate programs. (New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Number 71). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 1997.
Paloff RM, Pratt K. Building learning communities in cyberspace: effective strategies for the online classroom. San Francisco: Jossey Bass; 1999.
Recommendations for additional publications relevant to Module 4A may be found in each topic and in the Resource Center.
