Let me begin by asking a question, what
or who influences my perception of online / distance / e-learning? Was, or is
it, influenced by personal experience (positive or negative), negative
experiences by my friends, personal choice to avoid online training/education,
or just afraid of technology? It is simple, my perception derived from my own
experience with correspondence study--lessons, assignments, readings sent to
me, and snail mailed the completed assignments back to the instructor for
grading, evolving to online
learning; and it worked (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). I felt comfortable in the online format as I
enjoyed being on the computer; participating in social media sites and I use the
computer as an advantage, versus a disadvantage.
As technology, web tools, and those
feeding off of social media mature, I see the drive toward increase
opportunities for online learning, especially within corporate training. Will a
full online degree program work for all education, maybe not; instead,
universities look to selected courses to develop (or flip) into online, requiring
less classroom space, instructors located near the campus and flexibility for
students. Gallup poll in October 2013 via telephone interviews hinted to
towards the need for knowledge and skills to perform a specific job versus
a degree (Saad, Busteed & Ogisi, 2013). Experience in government agencies
instructing adult learning students, some of which have BlackBoard on the
UNCLASSIFIED (the Internet for the non-government workers) or CLASSIFIED
system. I would like to see more of student online interactivity on the
UNCLASSIFIED system, but wonder how far organizations would venture out fear of
security of information.
I can see an increase in effectiveness of
e-Learning training with corporate companies as job listings for instructional
designers point more towards online development, and with the up and coming
millennial generation, arriving with extensive experience with social media,
smart phones, and e-devices; they will adapt to online learning, as that is
what they know (Dede, 2005). Job
descriptions I read I feel I currently qualify, focus on training online, to
use the various tools available. However, I lack experience in the development of the WBT,
unless the Advanced Instructional Design and Distance Learning courses
count.
We become advocates for something we hold
dear to our heart, as an instructional designer; there are several avenues to
travel to advocate e-learning/distance learning. Follow and
participate in e-learning blogs or communication boards. As a member of
LinkedIn’s eLearning related discussion groups (Instructional Design &
E-Learning Professional's Group, E-Learning Global Network, and Instructional
Designers) ask questions, listen and read the articles or videos; and
participate in the discussion. As I reflected, I realized I needed to
expand my participation to other educational related groups.
The Positive Influencer I
hope to become an influencer in government positions as a contractor or
government employee. As I obtain instructional design positions, I hope to introduce
different ideas, utilize available resources, and encourage student interaction
outside the classroom environment.
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References
Dede, C. (2005). Planning for
neomillennial learning styles. Educause
Quarterly, 28(1), 7–12.
Saad, L., Busteed, B., & Ogisi, M. (2013).
In U.S., online education rated best for value and options. Retrieved
from http://www.gallup.com/poll/165425/online-education-rated-best-value-options.aspx
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M.,
& Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of
distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
Web Page
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/
