My definition of Distance Learning



The first time I had heard the term distance learning was about 10 years ago when an aunt of mine taught high school courses online for students with special circumstances and needs, ie. physical injury, which prohibited them from attending school for significant parts of a school year or an entire school year.   Back then, I would have defined distance learning as:

Formal education where the teacher and student are physically seperated from each other.

As I entered into the Walden online program, my definition grew to become:

Formal education where the teacher and students are physically seperated from each other, but interaction between students, teacher, content and each other is accomplished through various media and technology.

As I studied the definitions, history and theories of distance education in my current EDUC course Distance Learning,  I have expanded my personal definition to include the very important clarifying idea of two way communication between and among teachers and students and the idea that "the majority of educational communications between (among) teachers and student(s) occur noncontiguously. " (Garrison and Shale 1987).

Even with my new definition, I still feel that I am in the 'traditional definition camp' of distance learning. 

The newer and emerging definitions - open learning and virtual school for example, are not quite in my realm yet and I believe the terminology is in the process of being established. Until it is, there is likely to be confusion as today it may come across as conflicting.    Open learning, for example, as described by Edwards (1995)  focuses on local and individual needs and requirements, however MOOC's (Mass Open Online Course) is just the opposite yet both use the word open within the context of education.   Open educational practices (OEP's) are touted as the next phase in 21st century learning where the learners will be like a co-producer of their education.    Click the link to see more about OEP's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_practices

My vision is that those practices which support quality learning will become popular, recognized and established as the new 'norms' of the future.  I feel that current distance learning through accredited universtities will expand significantly and that we will also see an expansion in K-12 and corporate type training.