Distance education

1. DEFINITIONS, HISTORY, AND
THEORIES OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION
By Samari Watts

2. WHAT IS DISTANCE EDUCATION
Distance education can be defines as an
institution-based, formal education where the
learning group is separated, and where
interactive telecommunications systems are
used to connect learners, resources, and
instructors.

3. 4 Components to Distance Education
Institutionally Based
Separation of Teacher and Students
 Interactive Telecommunications
Sharing of Data, Voice and Video

4. 4 COMPONENTS OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION
The first component is that distance education is
institutionally-based. This is what differentiates
distance education from self-study
The second component of the definition of distance
education is the concept of separation of the teacher
and student. Most often, separation is thought of in
geographic terms– teachers are in one location and
students in another

5. 4 COMPONENTS OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION
 The third component of distance education are interactive
telecommunications. Interaction can be synchronous or
asynchronous at the same time, or at different times.
 The fourth component we examine the concept of connecting
learners, resources, and instructors. This means that there are
instructors who interact with learners and that resources are
available that permit learning to occur. Resources should be
subjected to instructional design procedures that organize
them into learning experiences that promote learning,
including resources that can be observed, felt, heard, or
completed.

6. THEORY AND DISTANCE EDUCATION
In the Foundations of Distance Education, Keegan (1966)
classified theories of distance education into three group:
 Theories of independence and autonomy
 Theories of industrialization of teaching
 Theories of interaction and communication
 The fourth category seeks to explain distance education in a
synthesis existing theories of communication and diffusion, as
well philosophies of education.

7. HISTORY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
In the history of distance education it has
experienced growth and change recently, but the
long traditions of the field continue to give it
direction for the future. Distance education began to
enrich the secondary school curriculum in the 1920’s.
It was focused mainly for adults with occupational,
social, and family commitments.

8. DISTANCE EDUCATION DEFINED FROM
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
Rudolf Manfred Delling stated in general that
distance education is a planned and systematic
activity that comprises the choice, didactic
preparation and presentation of teaching materials
as well as the supervision and support of students
learning and which is achieved by bridging the
physical distance between student and teacher by
means of at least one appropriate technical medium.

9. DISTANCE EDUCATION DEFINED FROM
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
Hilary Perraton, distance education is an educational
process in which a significant proportion of the
teaching is conducted by someone removed in space
and/or time from the learner.
Desmond Keegan the following four definitions were
central to an attempt to identify the elements of a
single, unifying definition of distance education.

10. Summary
In the rapidly changing and diverse environment in
which distance education is practiced, many
questions remain unanswered. In this environment it
is difficult to arrive at one definition or agree on a
theory of how to practice and do research in the field
of distance education. New technologies,
globalization, and new ideas about student learning
challenge the traditional approaches to the practice
of distance education.