GRAVOSO, Ian/ JIMENEZ, Maria/ LAURENTE, Yanna / LUMANGLAS, Vince/ MASANGYA, Yessica/

PALLERA, Alex/ PATA, Daniella/ QUIAMBAO, Keihla. – BSN 1-5

DISTANCE LEARNING

BRIEF HISTORY

It began over 150 years ago in the form of home study courses (Reinert and Fryback, 1997) that
progress into its newest form of Web-based courses. It is basically an interaction between the learners and
educator who is geographically separated or far away from each other. Distance learning nowadays
encompasses courses delivered by satellite, television broadcasting, or telephone lines. It involves two-
way audio and video to achieve learning by the process of technology. Courses delivered by a computer
via internet and world wide web are rapidly increasing.

DISTANCE LEARNING

 Distance learning is also referred to as distance education, e-learning, and online learning.

 Distance education is defined as students receiving instruction in a location other than that of the
faculty, it provides a way of learning that does not involve regular face to face contact with a teacher
inside a classroom.

 It is a form of education in which the main elements include physical separation of teachers and
students during instruction and the use of various technologies to facilitate student-teacher and
student-student communication. It focused on non-traditional students, such as full-time workers,
military personnel, and non-residents or individuals in remote regions who are unable to attend
classroom lectures. However, distance learning has become an established part of the
educational world, with trends pointing to ongoing growth.

 The main elements under distance learning includes physical separation between the teachers and
the students and the use of different forms of technologies to facilitate learning and communication.

 Students and institutions embrace distance learning with good reason. Universities benefit by
adding students without having to construct classrooms and housing, and students reap the
advantages of being able to work where and when they choose. Public-school systems offer
specialty courses such as small-enrollment languages and Advanced Placement classes without
having to set up multiple classrooms. In addition, homeschooled students gain access to
centralized instruction.

 Distance Education offers the ability to bring health care practitioners to rural and underserved
areas.

GENERAL TYPES OF DISTANCE LEARNING

o Online learning- Online learning is a form of electronic learning that requires you to have
access to the internet. Online learning is often more interactive than the other types of
distance learning, as it allows you to communicate with tutors, instructors and fellow
students in real time. With online learning, you might also be able to download your study
material from the internet, submit your assignments via an online student portal, complete
assessments online, attend webinars, and participate in virtual classes online education is
continuing to grow at a rate that is faster than the overall higher education market in
 general. Synchronous video technologies offer a way to deliver blended courses to
students at a distance without requiring the time and expense associated with travel to the
learning site.

o Correspondence Learning: With correspondence learning, you receive your textbooks,

study guides, assignments and other study materials via the post. You work through these
materials in your own time and at your own pace. Depending on the institution through
which you choose to study your course, you may be able to ask a tutor or instructor for
help via e-mail, telephone, instant messaging, or post.

o Electronic Learning: Electronic learning, often referred to as e-learning, enables you to

access your course material on a computer. CDs, DVDs, and computer-based applications
can all be used to deliver e-learning courses.

o Interactive Classes- describes material of an educational nature delivered in a format

which allows the user to directly impact the materials' content, pace, and outcome.

DISTANCE LEARNING VIA THE INTERNET

Classes are delivered online that can be both learning and cost-effective

 Synchronous versus Asynchronous classes

Synchronous online learning is a real time interaction electronically via internet. On the other hand
and much common is asynchronous applications in which materials and prescribed activities are
located at web page that can be access by the learners

 Webcasting

A less expensive alternative to Interactive television classes is webcasting. It is synchronous, a one

way audio, steaming video and multimedia technology. Learners are just sitting on their rooms,
homes, libraries or workplace with their personal computers that allows them to see the instructions
and materials displayed by the teacher. They can also ask question by clicking “ask” on the website.

 Podcasting

Asynchronous web-based broadcast capable of conveying audio, picture and video files. It can be
done to any devices that is supported by speakers. It’s advantage is that it is portable but the down
side of it is that it is only a one-way process.

 Online Courses

The development and implementation of online courses is constructivism. Rather than receiving
knowledge, learners build knowledge from the information they encounter. They are designed to
enable such self-learning.

INTERACTIVE TELEVISION CLASSES

Interactive Television (ITV) classes replicate a traditional classroom experience with one unique
exception: the "classroom" can consist of individuals or groups in several separate locations. The instructor
and students can both see and talk to each other as if they were actually in the same room. They can do
this through a two-way broadcast or through the Blackboard web interface "Collaborate," providing live,
interactive communication among the instructor and students regardless of location. Each site has a
specially equipped classroom that can accommodate this type of broadcast.

How do ITV classes work?

The classroom in which the instructor is located is the host site. The classrooms where additional
individuals or groups of students are at are called remote or receiving sites. Basically, classes are taught
in a specially equipped classroom called the Interactive Television or ITV room. Each classroom contains
equipment which may be similar to the following:
• A camera in the back of the room, focused on the instructor
• A camera in the front of the room, focused on the students
• Monitors or a projector in the front of the room for student viewing of remote sites and any material
displayed by means of the document camera or other video input. Students at remote classrooms
will view their instructor, presentation materials, and other students through monitors or video
projector screens.
• Ceiling or desktop microphones to transmit audio. Microphones allow instructors and students alike
to hear and respond to each other as in traditional classrooms.
• A control system for the instructor to choose what is being viewed by the remote sites

CHARACTERISTICS OF DISTANCE LEARNING

1. Carried out through institutions - distance learning is not self-study or a nonacademic learning
environment. Although it offers a different set-up from a traditional learning institution, distance learning
is still eligible for accreditation by the same agencies for traditional learning methods.

2. Geographic separation is inherent - distance between the students and the teachers are common with
distance learning. It is also designed to bridge intellectual, cultural, and social differences between
students.

3. Interactive telecommunications - connect individuals within a learning group and with the teacher -
electronic communications is the medium of instruction often used for for distance learning. The
connections of learners, teachers, and instructional resources become less dependent on physical
proximity as communications systems become more sophisticated and widely available.

4. Establishes a learning group/learning community - social networking on the Internet promotes the
idea of community building. In the distance learning setting, such networking can enable students’
connections with each other and thereby reduce their sense of isolation.

TYPES OF DISTANCE LEARNING

1. Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is one of the most offered by distance education institutions for
students. High quality video conferencing software is being used to ensure better
communication that enhances the experience of both the students and the educators. It
involves one-to-one interaction with the student. Institutions who offer video conferencing let
their students attend their missed classes via video conferencing to keep them updated.
2. Synchronous and Asynchronous Distance Education

Synchronous indicates "at the same time" and similarly Asynchronous indicates not at the
same time. Synchronous Distance education demands live communication by teleconferencing
Asynchronous distance education possess cluster of weekly deadlines.

Synchronous Discussions in Chat Rooms:

Advantages:

1. Mimics normal conversation.

2. Discussion takes place efficiently in “real time”

3. Can involve professional guests.

Disadvantages:

1. All learners must be available at the same time.

2. Discussion progresses quickly, and depth of ideas may suffer.

3. Slow typists may not participate as much.

Asynchronous Discussions in Listservs or Bulletin Boards:

Advantages:

1. Learners and teacher may log on at any time.

2. There is adequate time to think through responses.

Disadvantages:

1. Postings may become very lengthly and time consuming to read.

2. Procrastinators may not get involved in some of the discussion.

3. Students may respond early in the time period and not return to read later postings.

3. Open Schedule Online Courses

This comes under the category of Asynchronous Learning where students are given with
internet-based textbooks, email and bulletin boards to finish their course work. Initially, the students
are provided with a set of deadlines to complete their work and permitted to work in their own pace.
Open scheduled online courses are extremely valuable for the students who love to work
independently.

4. Hybrid Distance Education

Hybrid distance education is actually the combination of asynchronous and synchronous

learning in which the students are subjected to follow the specific deadline to complete their work.
Students are permitted to complete assignments on their own time and submit those assignments
via online forum.
 5. Computer Based Distance Educatio

Students are not provided with an open schedule in this type of distance education. They
are required to meet in classroom or in computer labs in specific time. This is required for
students who are not always physically present in class.

6. Fixed Time Online Course

Fixed Time course is the most common types of distance education. As the title indicates
that these courses are online but the students need to log-in to their learning site at a designated
time. The format of this course remains synchronous because it requires mandatory live chats in
some cases.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DISTANCE LEARNING

Advantages:

1. Learners can work and study at the same time.

2. Learners can choose from a wider variety of courses.

3. Distance learning is more affordable

4. Learners can study at their own pace.

Disadvantages:

1. There is often minimal interaction with other students

2. It requires high levels of self-discipline

References:

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/distance-learning/what-is-distance-learning/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/distance-learning

https://www.oxbridgeacademy.edu.za/distance-learning/

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/distance-learning/advantages-and-disadvantages-–-why-
choose-distance-learning/

https://www.eztalks.com/elearning/types-of-distance-education.html