Defining Distance Education

I would define distance education as a method of collaborative learning using interactive

telecommunications involving teachers and students in different places, times, and intellectual
skills. Learning could occur in a synchronous or asynchronous time frame based on curriculum
setup and interaction necessary. There would be some intellectual skill difference between the
teacher and students for learning to take place and initially encourage potential students to
participate. However, the learning should being reciprocal to the teacher through the social and
cultural applications the students bring into the environment.
This definition fits the criteria suggested by Garrison and Shale (as cited in Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2012. p. 36). These three criteria are:
- Majority of communication occurs noncontiguously
- Involves two way communication
- Uses technology to mediate the necessary communication
The definition is similar to the one stated by Scholosser and Simonson (as cited in Simonson et
al, 2012, p. 7) in including the learning group being separated and a telecommunication systems
used to link participants and resources. The definition vary a little in in requiring collaborative
learning as opposed to a teacher-led lecture that might be experienced in a traditional lecture
face-to-face class that has simply been modified for online delivery. The definition above also
includes a difference in intellectual skills to act as a focus for the enrollment in the class.
This definition does not distinguish between a distance education class being sustaining
or disruptive in nature. By the nature of a distance education the class should be disruptive in the
variety of students that could benefit from the number of offerings over that of traditional face-
to-face offerings on a campus (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 11). As new technology is developed and
implemented the interaction methods might change but the basic principles included in the above
definition would remain. However, more specialized offerings might make the reciprocal
learning portion of the definition impossible. For example, the training done by the U.S. Army
Interactive Teletraining Network or NASAs Digital Learning Network would be specialized
system learning that might not permit reciprocal learning to occur.
References:
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S, Albright, M & Zvacek, S (2012). Teaching and learning as a
distance: Foundations of distance education (5
th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education,
Inc.