REFLECTION
When I think back over my lifetime, and reflect on all the inventions
that have come to be in a little under 50 years, I see a society that has transformed
not just our way of life, but also our thinking. I
wondered, over all of recorded history, what were the top ten inventions? Of course, the wheel and paper come to mind,
maybe even the compass or the light bulb, but when I searched for a list of the
ten most influential inventions, I was amazed to see that eight out of ten were
developed from the year 1800 to present day.
That means that 80% of the most influential inventions ever developed
occurred in the last 200 years, a blink of an eye in history (Smith, 2014). The two inventions that I feel have
transformed the world most of all, are the computer and the World Wide Web. These
two inventions have not only changed the way we perform most daily tasks, they
have combined to transform the delivery system of information, how we do
business and to a large degree how we learn.
Distance education, while not a new concept, has also changed
drastically in the last 200 years. From
mail correspondence schools to radio broadcasts to education television and now
to online delivered upper level academic courses and entire graduate degrees. Evidence
is clear that students of any age can learn from instruction using technology,
and that distance education works (Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 8). In the next 5-10 years, I think that distance
education and online learning will become so commonplace, that it might be
difficult to remember learning without it.
Parents and classrooms are now exposing children to technology at an
early age. Children by the age of 2 are
playing and learning on electronic devices, and it has become so integrated
into how the child learns, that it is now the norm for them. Once these kids get into high school and
college, they would not be able to function without the technological aspect of
learning because it is almost ingrained into their DNA. With the advent of newer, faster, more
capable technology, I believe that classrooms will become more of a technology
center than a location for lecture and face to face demonstration. It may be
that instead of talking about how to integrate distance learning, the
discussion may focus on the actual need for classrooms (Bates, 2014). I think with the growth of distance learning
and the success that accompanies it, societal views will continue to shift to a
favorable position. In ten to twenty
years, technology will forge ahead and distance learning as we know it now, may
also transform and morph into something unthinkable just 10 years ago.
As an instructional designer it is incumbent upon me to develop
and design sound curriculum that not only engages the learner, but transforms
the learners thinking. By accomplishing
this, students can realize the success of distance learning and be a party to
their own learning. This type of success
can generate conversation, provoke ideas, and inspire others to engage in
distance learning activities which in turn promotes the overall success of
distance learning. While marketing
distance learning can enlighten the uninformed, the strength of achievement lies
in the design and outcomes of the learning.
Just as technology continues to evolve, so
must the skills of the instructional designer.
It is not enough to earn a degree, understand the theories and mechanics
of designing effective coursework, an ID must continue to practice and acquire
the knowledge necessary to develop and deliver top quality education utilizing
the newest technological tools available.
This means that the ID has to keep abreast of learning trends, theories
and technology. As an ID, I will
continue to develop my skills and market distance education to others. Future courses that I design will have clear
goals, appropriate use of media and technology, along with assessments that
truly measure the learner’s level of understanding. It is also important to gain valuable feedback
and to be open to changes, and updating coursework is critical for our ever
changing environment. If a course is
designed successfully, the learners themselves will be an advocate for distance
learning, and the many benefits that distance education brings with it.
The field of distance education has seen exponential growth in the
last 5-10 years and the trend is only expected to increase. The future may be a world without traditional
classrooms and lecture halls, completely overtaken by technology and distance
education. While technology plays a key
role in the advancement of distance education, it is the sound design principles
and practices that will propel the success of distance learning into the
future. True success is not measured by
how many different technologies were used, or by how well the student enjoyed the
class. True success is measured when the
learner grasps, understands and integrates the knowledge to achieve the courses
stated objectives. This is the foundation
of instructional design.
References
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