The next evolution of distance education: is it really time to walk upright?

Distance education, to the surprise of some, has been around for the better part of 150 years (Anderson, 2008). In that time, it "has evolved through five generations" – post (a.k.a. snail mail), television and radio, AV conferencing, computer conferencing, and Web 2.0 (p. 2). As ubiquitous as connectivity has become, and with as many tools as are available for eLearning (discussion boards, wikis, blogs, chat, video conferencing, mobile learning, etc…), and with the emergence of online universities with over 100,000 students (see post on the recent Sloan Consortium report), beliefs that distance education is close to reaching its summit are understandable. However, if some are to be believed, the next evolution may be upon us … and it is not where you might think. According to recent work by Moller, Huett, Foshay, Coleman, and Simonson, this evolution may be underneath technology, in the dirty underbelly of educational theory and instructional design (Moller et al., 2008, Simonson, 2008).

Moller, Huett, Foshay, and Coleman (2008) recently collaborated on a series of three articles published in TechTrends. Titled The Evolution of Distance Education: Implications for Instructional Design on the Potential of the Web, each article approaches the topic from a different context. The first examines training and development. The second approaches from higher education. The third opens up K-12. Each article is comprehensive in its evaluation of current trends' meaning for students, faculty, administrators, and instructional designers. Their bottom line, within all three sectors, is too much growth has created a demand for qualified instructional designers unable to be met by the current supply (Moller et al., 2008). This deficit has created an unbalanced reliance on faculty members and administrators, untrained to be instructional designers, creating curriculum for distance education through leveraging the "craft" of traditional education. A tradition that, in many cases, was not effective to begin with (Moller et al, 2008). The result is courses lacking quality needs assessments, effective learning models, and a connection to recent research. These courses lead to increased student disillusionment, not just for their courses, but also for distance education as a whole. Moller et al., in their final installment, call for all eLearning professionals to collaborate, and begin "the hard work of building a cumulative and unified base of knowledge for e-learning and the field of instructional design" (Huett et al., 2008, p. 66).

On the other hand, Dr. Michael Simonson (Equivalency, 2008) focuses on the concept of equivalency and the diffusion of distance education as he contemplates its future. His theory of equivalency is similar to Moller et al.'s (2008) call to revise distance education learning models, and not rely on the old teaching "craft". Dr. Simonson wants instructional designers to avoid copying their traditional courses, and focus on building courses that give learners "the same learning outcomes, but provide the learning experiences that they need in order to accomplish this equivalent … learning outcome from the course." Dr. Simonson (Distance Education, 2008) has also postulated that distance education is at a "point of critical mass" on the traditional S-curve of adoption. The implication is that growth will continue (though not in a "revolutionary" way), and academic professionals need to usher that growth safely into its next evolution, be it "haphazard" or "highly structured and planned."

At the point where the fingers meet the keyboard, Moller et al. (2008) have a thorough and practical analysis of distance education's difficult situation. They make it clear to see why instructional design must evolve to meet the needs of diverse online learners, and fill the gap between the number of trained instructional designers and the demand for new courses. As presented, Dr. Simonson's theory of equivalency is relevant, though not motivating. It will not stir the professional masses to begin the "hard work" Moller et al. emphasize, and the industry needs. I agree with Moller et al. (2008). It is time to stop dragging our collective knuckles and persisting with research and analysis that only compares distance education to traditional delivery. It is time for researchers to focus on maturing and evolving distance education in its own right. It is time for distance education to stand up on its own, assuming responsibility for its place and potential in academia.

References (Please note, other than Anderson, links in this section are internal to Walden University's system and will not work without appropriate credentials)

Anderson, T. (Ed.) (2008). The Theory And Practice Of Online Learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Moller, L Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The Evolution Of Distance Education: Implications For Instructional Design On The Potential Of The Web (Part 1: Training And Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70-75. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 33281719.

Moller, L Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The Evolution Of Distance Education: Implications For Instructional Design On The Potential Of The Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70. Use the Academic Search Premier database, and search using the article's Accession Number: 33991516.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The Evolution Of Distance Education: Implications For Instructional Design On The Potential Of The Web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5). 63-67.

Walden University (Producer). (2008, December 7th). EDUC-8842 Resource Distance education: The next generation. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=4683208&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Walden University (Producer). (2008, December 7th). EDUC-8842 Resource Equivalency theory. Podcast retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3206859&Survey=1&47=4683208&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1