science and tech

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Online Education: Distance Learning in the Digital Age

For the purpose of this report, online education refers to higher education associated with the World Wide Web and Internet, which is a form of Distance Learning. Although, before the internet some online education versions existed in the form of local and wide area networks. Nonetheless, since the early mid-nineteen nineties the Internet model has been used because of its application as a global system of interconnected computer networks.

Online education has revolutionized the learning process for decades to come. Progression through the Information Age will undoubtedly bring about newer technologies that will continue to drastically change how people gather and process information. This research paper will explore emergent technologies in education leading to today's' Digital Age, along with an analysis of current technological influences on society and then a wrap-up discussion on various ethical considerations.

After decades of online education expansion, many debates and controversies still exist over the quality of education. Further, experts suggest that online students may have lower completion rates than traditional campus students. Be that as it may, the internet and globalization are here to stay, and with that comes a demand for a workforce of self-disciplined employees who can interact effectively with people of all cultures. Therefore, regardless if you are an employer, campus or online student, technological skills are a necessity to compete in today’s economy.

Although, online education offers many benefits, like greater flexibility, is the quality of education inferior to that of traditional schools, thus, resulting in students with diplomas’ not respected by prospective employers? Granted there are sizable differences between conventional and online learning platforms, but the caliber of education has only progressed; as a result, companies now have embraced online education in records numbers; therefore, they no longer perceive it as a second-class degree.

Photos: (Bartha, n.d.), (“Chautauqua Trail,” n.d.), (“William Harper,” 2016), (“Spark-gap transmitter,” n.d.), (“WHA (AM),” 2016), (“Federal Radio Commission,” 2016), (“Great Depression,” n.d.), (“Early Educational Television,” 2010).

Distance Learning Predecessors

In the pursuance of continuous education transcendence, we must review and comprehend the roles and methods used previously in distance learning. Given that, it is paramount to examine the progression and evolution of educational technology, as well as, the range of methods utilized to deliver it. In particular, the advancement of distance learning began with, correspondence by way of parcel post, next radio, then television and finally online education a seen today.

Correspondence by Parcel Post

The broad definition of Distance Learning includes correspondence by parcel and any other method in which a physical separation exists between the student and educator. A good description of correspondence by parcel is when a student receives lessons or exercises through the postal system and then returns them for grading, comments or criticism. According to Kentnor (2015), the earliest known reference to correspondence by parcel was Caleb Phillips. On March 20, 1728, Phillips posted an advertisement in the Boston Gazette, in which he offered weekly shorthand lessons for anyone in the Country. What is more, the ad stated the quality of the lessons would be the same as if you lived in Boston (Kentnor, 2015)!

Still, the correspondence or Chautauqua Movement did not start until the 1870’s. First, correspondence learning began during the summer months as a training program for Sunday school teachers. By the mid to late 1800’s, it slowly expanded to encompass general education and the arts, which included supplemental readings and homework completed through correspondence. Eventually, Chautauquas developed throughout the country and even offered four-year correspondence programs that awarded certificates of study. In 1892, William Harper Rainey established college-level correspondence courses at the University of Chicago. The University's' Student enrollment rate clearly identified a prosperous market demand. In 1915, the formation of the National University Extension Association further legitimized correspondence education with a goal to provide quality education to any and all willing to expand their intellect (Kentnor, 2015).

Radio

The invention of the spark transmitter in 1894, significantly transformed distance learning. In fact, radio transmission technology produced an inexpensive and superb approach to educating people by the masses. The first federally licensed radio station devoted to educational broadcasting began at the University of Wisconsin around 1919. However, the early 1920’s are viewed as the inception of educational broadcasting. Similar to the internet explosion, the rapid growth of radio brought about unexpected uses of radio in Universities like social broadcasting of sports, concerts, dramas and college lectures. Eventually, the Radio Revolution forced Congress to regulate the broadcasting industry and passed the Radio Act of 1927. Unfortunately, these regulatory statutes coupled with an economic crisis at the dawn of the Great Depression in 1929, crippled most academic institution and educational radio broadcasting (Kentnor, 2015).

Despite the Great Depression, the National Broadcasting Company created the Radio Corporation of America Educational Hour. Although, known to most as “The Music Appreciation Hour” the purpose of the broadcast was to introduce children to the symphony orchestra. In 1930, Columbia Broadcasting System started a program called American School of the Air, a public affairs teaching supplement. Also, in 1930 the Institute for Education by Radio (IER) was founded in Columbus, Ohio. The IER widely used the radio in the classrooms to study educational broadcasting techniques. For the most part, radio technology used in distance learning proved cheaper and more reliable than postal service, especially in areas with low literacy rates. As can be seen, the development of technology from the 1700’s to the 1800’s forever changed the application of distance learning. But, not long after the introduction of radio broadcasting came a new concept of displaying moving objects through a screen (Kentnor, 2015).

Television

The creation of television was thought to surpass radio technology significantly and bring about many anticipated educational uses. Surprisingly, this new technology did not achieve the expected notoriety within the academic field, as did the radio (Kentnor, 2015). Thomas Edison said, “Books will become obsolete in schools. It is possible to teach every aspect of human knowledge through motion picture. Within ten years our school systems will have completely changed forever“, (as cited in Kentnor, 2015, p.6).

Early 1927, commercial television became part of the public domain, but Educational Television (ETV) did not originate until 1932. ETV produced programs targeted towards cultural, instruction, information, public affairs and entertainment. Early on, the armed forces recognized the potential of audio-visual media and utilized it in military training. Consequently, the military’s’ use led to the widespread application of video within classrooms. Nevertheless, the use of video technology in distance learning did not take off. By the mid-1900’s, universities started to become aware of the advantages from using television as a platform to teach and learn. As educational usage of radio and television took off throughout the late 1900’s, its application in distance learning seemed to dwindle. One theory for the technology’s unfavorable popularity stems from poorly produced videos, whereby instructors’ merely read notes which made it challenging to keep students’ attention. But, by the late 1970’s things began to look good. First, the British Broadcasting Company started to set the standard for American course developers. Second, the use of computers in the academic community materialized, although educators were not yet ready to embrace the enviable (Kentnor, 2015).

References

Kentnor, H. E. (2015). Chapter 2 distance education and the evolution of online learning in the United States. Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue, 17(1/2), (Sp)21-(Sp)34.

Spark-gap transmitter. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://teslaresearch.jimdo.com /invention-of-radio/spark-gap-transmitter/

William Rainey Harper. (2016). Retrieved from https://president.uchicago .edu/directory/william-rainey-harper