Creating Meaningful Learning in Distance Education

Distance learning opportunities are growing by leaps and bounds in both high school and universities across Canada and the United States. A 2009 report by the Canadian Council on Learning indicates that more rural schools than urban schools had students participating in online courses. It is estimated that between 150, 000 and 175, 000 students K-12 are enrolled in distance education in Canada, which is 2.8% or 3.4% of the total K-12 student population.

For post-secondary schools, Statistics Canada reports that cost plays an important role in why students choose online education.

According to Jamie Littlefield, high school students are choosing the online option as a result of the flexibility, and accessibility offered by online courses. Setting their own learning pace is another benefit for highly motivated students. Students who need to catch up on missing credits are also exploring online courses as a way to reach this goal.

What is Distance Education?

As the name implies, distance education takes place when the instructor and the student are physically separate from each other. However, instructor-student and student-student interactions still form an integral part of the courses, with communication occurring through media such as email, online chat, discussion forums and through platforms such as Elluminate and Skype. Even Facebook Video and Google Chat have opened up new media opportunities in which students can “meet” online.

Traditional distance courses, like correspondence, evoke images of solitary students huddled over mounds of workbooks, assigned the mundane task of reading and writing responses to questions. But new technologies offer more pedagogical choice when designing online learning environments. Educators are invited to embrace constructivist learning theories by incorporating opportunities for students to be immersed in complex, realistic, and relevant environments. (Driscoll)

Constructivists see knowledge as something that is created by learners as they make sense of their experiences.

The basic goals of education are simple:

• 1) retention
• 2) understanding
• 3) actively use newly acquired knowledge and skills.

How do instructors ensure that quality learning takes place in these distance, online environments?

To facilitate this learning, students need to be actively engaged in problem solving so that lessons learned can be applied to new situations. Students are encouraged to work collaboratively to solve problems, creating a community of learners in the process. This approach also empowers students to direct their own learning in relevant work.

For those new to distance education, the challenge of designing such interactive learning experiences can be daunting. There is no standard formula for developing a constructivist-based course, but there are suggestions that might help when beginning your own design:  

Barbara Frey of the Denver Connections Academy offers the following suggestions for incorporating constructivist activities in your online course:

• 1.      Develop learning activities that encourage students to work together. “The social construction of knowledge” forms the backbone of meaningful learning experiences.
• 2.      Include multidisciplinary real world experiences, like simulations, problem-based learning and case studies.
• 3.      Allow student the chance to practice new skills.
• 4.      Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their learning throughout the process. Teaching meta-cognition allows students to be more involved in directing their learning.

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