In the program, “The Future of
Distance Education,” George Siemens (Laureate Education, 2008) shares his
perspective on the elements that contribute to increased acceptance of distance
education, and where distance education is going as a field. He contends that distance education continues
to gain acceptance in the corporate, government, and educational sectors for
several reasons: increased online
communication, practical experiences with the technology, growing sense of
comfort online, and the ability to communicate with global groups. He argues that distance education is greatly
impacted by the development and implementation of new technologies, which
determines the direction of distance education.
Siemens predicts an increased use of multimedia, games, and
simulations. Also, video technology in
courses will be enhanced. As students
get more comfortable with using the technology and working in an online
learning environment, the use of distance education will be increased.
George
Siemens’s elements of online collaboration and communication can be seen in
many classrooms today. Many teachers
are using Edmodo, a social networking site like Facebook, with their students. Students are able to form groups and
collaborate with one another on projects and participate in online discussions
with the teacher about a current issue or topic. Likewise, the teacher is able to post
assignments for the entire class that may include links, uploaded files, and
multimedia presentations. As students
continue to using this platform, they become more comfortable in using
technology, and enhance their digital literacy skills that are essential for
the 21st century.
Reference:
Laureate Education, Inc.
(2008). The Future of Distance
Education. Baltimore, MD.
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