Distance Learning

     In my lifetime I have not traveled to many places, but thanks to distance learning I have been able to receive my education without leaving my home. I have been able to raise my son on my own, without having to put him in daycare or having missed milestones in his life thus far. I now have a teenager, my Bachelors and am working on my Masters, 

       Distance Learning means different things to different people. For example, I don't think I would have thought of the distance learning like correspondence courses, I hadn't thought of those in years, not till I read about it in our readings. Now I can remember when correspondence courses were offered, I can remember many of the other types of distance learning I researched when I first graduated high school, and wasn't sure the traditional classroom was for me. It turns out I wasn't meant for the traditional classroom, online learning was what fit me, I could participate in discussions, be a part of a group, learn at my own pace and learn self discipline. 

          While Distance Learning might not be for everyone it has changed my life both personally and professionally. I believe Distance Learning is such a generic term, if you ask someone in the learning field what is Distance Learning, you are sure to get many different answers. I actually did this in my office, I asked some of our Trainers, Senior Trainers, Training Coordinators even Managers, how they would define Distance Learning, it was truly amazing at how many different answers I received. While it appears to me there is no one way to define Distance Learning, it is what you make of it. . 

Reference:

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Definitions, History, and Theories of Distance Education, Teaching and Learning at a Distance: Foundations of Distance Education, pgs. 35 – 40.