Form the experiment that did by Souder in 1993, we can tell that not only did distance learners defend of the distance learning course was a better way of learning, but also the other two groups thought that the approaches they accessed were better than the other groups’. Souder did explain that why the distance learners in that study were defending for the distance learning approach. He thinks that distance learners gained more than the other groups because they can learn form their classmates, social skills, and also the experiences of learning at a distance. However, he did not explain why the other two groups — traditional group and onsite group – had the same feeling? I am not sure if there are some psychological issues, but I do think that there are other reasons which can cause the distance learners defend their distance learning. As we all know, if learners can think and discover the truth by themselves the learning effectiveness will be better than they just listen from instructors (cognitive learning theory). This is understandable because learners have to really think about the contents that they are learning and figure them out step by step. The process of this kind of learning is active. On the other hand, listening to the lecture or demonstration is sort of passive than discovering the truth by students themselves. This is also the reason why instructors like to create a similar environment when they are demonstrating. Now in the distance learning environment learners, first, have to work together with their classmates which is a social skill. For distance learning approach learners are separated from their instructors and classmates need to work together to talk and discuss more than in traditional class. Second, in distance learning, students have to use the technology skills that needed for operating the distance learning system. Third, in order to finish a course effectively, learners have more activeness than in traditional or onsite class. I mean they have the right to arrange their time and learning pace. However, more right here also means more responsibilities. That is to get everything done on time and make everything reach the requirement. These are totally different from the traditional class that everything is led by the instructors. Learners just need to be a certain place as what the instructors require. This can also explain why the effectiveness of distance learning is important in IT area. If the DL has a lower effectiveness than other approaches, the DL does not have to be exited because people, of course, do not want to learn through a way which is slow and not efficient. In fact, DL has its own problems as the author stated on the page of 76 in this chapter. So nobody can prove that DL is the “best” because it is not. It is only distance learning, it is not different learning, it is not super learning either.
As the author stated in this chapter about the medium that used for distance learning, there are two kinds of technologies: telecommunications technologies and classroom technologies. There are a lot of mediums listed in this chapter, form correspondence study to today’s online study, from postal mail to electronic mail, the technology is updating and the effectiveness of distance learning is improving. It is not necessary for us to talk about all the differences between all the mediums. But we all know that with the development of science and technology, there must be more and more chances for us to employ more effective technologies for distance learning. Online learning, for example, is the most common and effective distance learning approach used nowadays. It offers both synchronous and asynchronous communication between instructors and learners. Furthermore, it can deliver two-ways audio and video as people are talking face to face. But advanced technologies not always have advantages, some problems that appeared during using new technology are very serious. I have the experiences of taking courses online and the problem of attaching assignment is a big problem to me. Professors always want us to submit assignment through distance learning system such as WebCt, however, this system is not performing well all the time. Another problem is losing email, an adjustment of assignment that comes from instructor through email which may be delayed or lost by the system itself. This may cause learners spend hours on their assignment and then find that it is not fit the requirement. Even worse problem is virus which can cause you lose your data which you spend whole day or whole semester on. As we already talked in Chapter 3 that there are still some problems in our area which need us to solve.
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