Trends in Distance Education
I remember when I was in elementary school the teachers use to stress the 3 ‘R’s of education – reading, (w)riting and-a ‘rithmetic, which although it was spelled incorrectly it was the trend at that time. The curriculum was created by grade levels without taking into consideration different learning styles, sharing was expected, not something that was taught to us in preschool or kindergarten and utilizing technology in the class was a rarity. Now in 2017 the trend is the 4 ‘C’s of education – communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity. The learning has shifted from teacher directed to incorporate the student more as a creator in the learning process, with the teacher guiding them through various techniques now available through the use of technology.
Forecasting the future in learning and the impact technology advances will have on the education system are being explored by many, with a study even being done on the results of various studies relating to trends in distance education. Through all the studies however there is one aspect they seem to be having the greatest difficulty with, which is how to improve professional development and better support the faculty. The NMC reports for 2015 & 2017 state as wicked challenges ‘rewards for teaching’ (NMC 2015) and ‘rethinking the roles of educators’ (NMC 2017) but they don’t discuss how to assist with better preparing educators with the changes taking place not only in distance learning but in the education system as a whole. While forecasting the future in distance education is great, if the educators are not educated on the new aspects for the future then how can the students fully benefit? Creating and implementing technology in distance education (and education in general) and analyzing the future of education is important however we must be sure to look at all aspects ensuring there’s a balance in the advancements made by students and educators.
EDU369 By Penny 
Leave a comment