THE STUDENT AND DISTANCE EDUCATION

By: Raheen Brooks

AN EMPHASIS ON THE STUDENT

The distance learner can be of any age, have attained any educational level, and have a variety of educational needs.

Distance learners live in a variety of areas, from rural to metropolitan sites located sufficiently away from where a class is traditionally offered.

In a distance learning setting, the instructor must learn about students at all the sites if working in an audio or video setting.

TRAITS OF THE DISTANT LEARNER As students of all ages are engaging in distance education, more

and more technology resources are becoming available to educational setting which is allowing students to become involved in learning at a distance.

The ages of distance learners are separated into two different categories:

1. Adult Learners

2. P12 Learners

FACTOR INFLUENCING LEARNER SUCCESS

There are several factors that can lead to learner success:

1. Attitude

2. Etiquette

3. Experience

AUDIO AND VIDEO-BASED SETTINGS

Synchronous classes usually allows two-way transmission via audio.

Background noise can interfere with the audio exchange. When background noise becomes a factor, there may be little that can be done if the instructor or student has no control over the source of the noise

Equipment such as document cameras, video players, and fax machines may be used students in video-based classrooms.

ONLINE SETTING

In an online setting, the students need to understand the nuances of the various types of resources available to them:

1. Students bring a wealth of experience with e-mail and with web surfing, but may not have experience with posting to bulletin boards or discussion forums.

2. They may know how to word process a document, but many do not understand how to save it into a format that is readable by all members of the class.

3. The instructor’s use of the Web-based course tools, such as the dropbox, assignment feature, or the online chat, may cause students’ frustration or confusion as how to proceed.

SYNCHRONOUS VS ASYNCHRONOUS Synchronous classes are similar to the on-campus, face-to-face

arrangement familiar to many students. Students can go to a nearby site for a televised class or sit at home to participate in an audio conference or Web-based video conference.

In Asynchronous class the class meeting time is an unique issue. The fact that everyone does not have to be at the class at the same time is one of the advantages of this type of class for very busy people who are unable to rearrange their schedules.

Distance education includes both learning and teaching. The involvement of the instructor in the education process is critical because it shows how students need to know how to contact their instructor at any point in time through the course of study.

Whatever the means of communication with the instructor, students need to provide sufficient information to the instructor so that it is clear who is making the contact.

The instructor also need to be clear as to the timeframe for responses in the case where they cannot respond at a certain time.

COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

In distant learning a lot of emphasis is placed on the student. A class can be synchronous or asynchronous. Communication is vital in a distant learning class. There are several different factors that influence learner success. Traits of the distant learner differ depending on the type of learner.

COMMUNICATION