DeJanel Henry

OMDE 601 Section 9040

Sunday, September 24, 2017
No I In Team- Instructors and Scholars work as a Team
Essay Assignment #1

Distance Education is the academic bond that is created without an option between an

instructor and a scholar without physically seeing each other in person. This opens the gateway

for both for accountability, among both the instructor and student as the instructor must be able

to access an online environment to provide enhanced learning to the student, who must be able

to utilize the resources to effectively acquire knowledge or a specific skill. Elasticity is the

advantage of both parties as the student is able to access and learn at the rate of interest but

also accountable or deadlines and structure. Instructors too enjoy the perks by being able to

academically delegate in any geographical region of the world to provide a flexible, yet an

advanced worldwide learning experience. Both parties work together as a team, where flexibility,

urgency, and communication become the three major factors to ensure both the student has

acquired the necessary knowledge to move further in his/her academic endeavors and as the

instructor is held accountable or reassuring he/she provided the mandatory structure, content is

relevant and reader friendly, and open availability to support their students. Without these

essential key factors, neither the student nor instructor will be able to progress in their

respective roles.

Prior joining the MDE program, I understood the definition of distance education as it

pertained my schedule, my personal life, as well as my all-around balance as an individual.

However based on the readings, the origin of Distance Education is profound and supported by

facts of a plethora of Greats who believed in techniques that will help all kinds of learners,

including myself. Distance Education serves students who are not situated or willing to

benefiting from comprehensive face to-to face instruction, a definition stated in Borje

Holembergs, The Evolution, Principles and Practices of Distance Education was a clear and

concise definition that closely related and harmonized with my unique description of what

Distance Education defines to me. Back to the analogy of a team, each player works and uses the

different techniques to accomplish the same goal, to win. There are several kinds of learners that

use certain advantages to contribute to their academic success. The player, the student, who

benefit more learning in a face to face interaction, a student who can only do school work away

from home, and in this particular case a student who benefits from an online environment. The

coach, the instructor, must be able to adapt to their players special technique, provide

constructive feedback, and communicate the correct and direct coaching points to ensure a

victory, acquired knowledge with a passing grade.

Like on any team, every player wants bragging rights to be recognized as the winner. Where face

to face learning provides a rich social context, online learning makes mandatory use of

technology to mediate social interaction (Bastiaens, Weidlin, 2017). This teamwork is creates a

safe place for students and instructors from all ethnicities, backgrounds, and different passion

for the value of higher learning.

 References:

Holmberg, B. (2005). Concepts and terminology - Student bodies. The evolution, principles, and practice of distance

education. Oldenburg, Germany: BIS-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universitt Oldenburg (pp. 33).

Bastiaens, T.,Weidlich, J. (2017). Explaning social prescence and the quality of online learning with the SIPS model.

Computers in Human Behavior, 72, pg. 479