A Teacher's Guide to Distance Learning
Distance learning applications in higher education and industry are growing at a rapid pace. It is now possible to obtain a college degree without physically attending a traditional class. Likewise, numerous companies are using distance learning technologies to distribute training courses to employees on a worldwide basis.
Distance learning in K-12 education is not as prevalent as it is in the adult world due to the need to supervise young students. There are, however, many forms of distance learning that are becoming increasingly common in schools throughout the world. The K-12 applications for distance learning include:
- Instruction for Homebound Students
- Virtual High Schools
- Instruction for Distributed Classes
- Interactions with Outside Experts
- Mentoring and Tutoring of Distant Students
- Collaborative Projects
- Access to Remote Resources
- Staff Development Programs
Instruction for Homebound Students
Distance learning technologies offer a variety of options for students, who, for one reason or another, are unable to attend school. There are many options for meeting the needs of the homebound students. For example, videotapes can be sent of the classes, Internet connections can be established for e-mail and conferencing, or two-way interactive video systems can be installed.Example:
Mr. James was teaching a class with four students -- and all four were confined to their homes. Through a project organized by Pinellas County in Florida, he is able to communicate with his students through computers and telecommunications. In particular:
- The students send in their work via e-mail before the class meets so that the teacher is assured that the students have organized their thoughts prior to class discussion.
- The teacher gathers updated materials (e.g., newspaper and magazine articles) and sends them immediately to the students via e-mail.
- The students also participate in their own group conference so that they can share pertinent materials with each other (Kantaras, 1993, 49).
Virtual High Schools
Students do not have to be homebound to benefit from distance learning technologies. Some high schools are experimenting with offering credit courses for students who are home schooled, those who have previously dropped out of high school, those in juvenile detention institutions, and those who need the flexibility to "attend" school at times other than 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Virtual high schools can offer the flexibility that appeals to certain students in specific circumstances, while maintaining high standards for education.Example:
Paul needed to re-take American History so that he could graduate from High School with his classmates. The problem was that he also had to report to work at 3:00 each afternoon; there was no time during the school day to take the course. His counselor suggested that he connect to the Internet and check out the Florida High School at http://fhs.net. The Florida High School is a joint project between Orange and Alachua County public schools (see below). The "virtual" school curriculum currently includes Chemistry, Algebra, Basic, Pascal, SAT Preparation, Economics, and American History. (Any Florida student may take the courses without charge.)
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Figure 2. The Florida High School Web page at http://fhs.net.
Instruction for Distributed Classes
A number of school districts, particularly in less-populated areas, are using distance learning technologies to share teachers among several schools. For example, if only a few students in each school need a course, they can comprise a single class large enough to justify the cost of a teacher. Distributed classes via distance learning may help alleviate the predicted shortage of teachers in K-12 schools. Some estimate that by the year 2000 there will only be 1 million teachers for two million positions (Minoli, 1996). These shortages are predicted to be especially acute in the areas of science and mathematics.Example:
Ms. Susan Williamson is teaching a Calculus lesson from her studio in Alaska and beaming it up to a satellite. Her students are scattered all over the Northwest in over 100 schools. Through satellite downlinks at each school, they can see and hear their teacher. If they have immediate questions, they can call her during the class period. Otherwise, they can send individual questions to Susan through e-mail or fax. Proctors and teacher's aides supervise the students in the remote classrooms, distribute learning materials, and administer tests.
Interactions with Outside Experts
Technologies such as videoconferences, audioconferences, and the Internet allow teachers to bring into the classroom a guest who would normally be unable to visit. Long distances, difficult travel conditions, or busy schedules make it impractical for many individuals to visit school classrooms as guest speakers. Prominent persons are usually more willing to take 15 minutes to talk with a class by telephone or videoconference than they are to spend a couple of hours traveling to and from the school. In addition, there are numerous Web sites that offer access to experts.Example:
Mr. Reynolds' team of students and teachers was just embarking on an interdisciplinary study of Mars when he learned that a well-known science fiction author lived in town. The author was very interested in education, and agreed to become an advisor to the students as they investigated far-off worlds. In Language Arts classes, students wrote science fiction stories with the author's guidance. He held an audioconference with the student authors to help them develop story ideas, then did some editing via e-mail and chat. The Math and Science classes designed Mars research stations that were judged by a local team of experts. The engineers and the students used videoconferencing to display and discuss blueprints.
Mentoring and Tutoring of Distant Students
Some school systems have implemented distance learning technologies to provide students access to tutors during the early evening hours or on weekends. Depending on the system, the tutors can work at their own homes or at a central location, such as the school, to mentor the remote students. Cross-age mentoring is also possible with older students helping younger students by means of distance learning.Example:
Anita had always dreamed of becoming an astronaut, and thanks to a distance learning project, she now knows how to make her dream come true. When an astronaut visited her school district, the local educational channel arranged for an interactive, live broadcast to area classrooms. Through the broadcast, Anita learned about the astronaut training program.
Students, including Anita, faxed, e-mailed, and called in questions to the TV studio for the astronaut to answer. After the broadcast, the teacher accessed NASA's Web site to find out more about the astronaut program. When the students thought of more questions, they began an on-going electronic dialogue with their new mentor by e-mailing him at NASA.
Collaborative Projects
Distance learning can also be used to enhance collaboration between students in remote classrooms. There are many projects on the Web that promote problem solving, multicultural education, and community involvement. In most cases, one teacher or organization serves as facilitator for a project. As the data is collected from the remote schools, the facilitator compiles it and disseminates the results.Example:
Ms. Romero's class was beginning a unit on conservation and the environment. In order to make the lesson more authentic, she decided to participate in the Save the Beaches project she had seen on the Internet. Through this project, her students would collaborate with students all over the world as they explored their environment. Specifically, they would visit local beaches, collect the data, then analyze it and share the data with the other students (Save the Beaches, 1998). (For more information, visit the Save the Beaches site at http://ednhp.hartford.edu/www/Nina/.)
Access to Remote Resources
K-12 schools are often isolated from other learning environments, such as universities, museums, and libraries. Through distance learning technologies, these resources can become available for students in both urban and rural areas.
Example:
Town High School's art classes learned that the city was redesigning and updating the local art museum. The students had plenty of ideas of their own, but they needed more information on how to contribute their ideas to the remodeling project. Some of the students accessed the city government Web pages to learn about the schedule and procedure for providing input about the museum. Another group found Web sites for museums including the Louvre, Prado, National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art. This group did comparisons and evaluations of the virtual art museums, which became a guide to use in making recommendations to the city. A third group contacted other schools and cities to ask about art museums around the country. Finally, the students at Town High addressed the city council with their findings, and offered to help create a Web site for the newly designed museum.
Staff Development Program
At the end of long days in the classroom, it is difficult for teachers to drive to a university or other facility for inservice credit or to pursue an advanced degree. Through distance learning technologies, the staff development programs can be delivered to the teachers' school or home. Some universities offer entire Master's and Doctoral programs via distance learning technologies.Example:
Ms. Brown enjoyed her position as a third grade teacher, and her "job" as a mother of two small children. Through the Learn From A Distance program at USF, she was also able to attend college and work on her Master's degree. The courses were offered through the Internet, and she was able to work at the time, place, and space that was best for her.
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Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida ©1998, 1999.