Creative Wings in Distance Education Technologies

Resumo

Here are the questions that invariably are heard and often asked: "What is so good about distance learning?" "Why should it be used in a classroom?" Distance learning presents many more opportunities and possibilities in the classroom than a traditional face-to-face setting. Instructors can extend their reach to a global audience when including technology in the classroom. Distance education is one of the tools that promises to remove the barrier of geographic location, because it increases time and place flexibility, provides just-in-time learning, reduces costs, and has quicker time development than traditional material development—such as print, textbooks, information, and so on. For example, it is easier to use Web authoring tools to develop and disseminate information on the Web, which can be accessed by a large number of students, than publishing the information to be distributed and sold to students in bookstores. Another advantage of distance education is that it can provide students with the opportunity to move through course material at a self-set pace, which increases meaning for them. If students are able to construct their own meaning, the content will be more relevant. An advantage of using modalities such as chat rooms and e-mail aids students who are apprehensive about participating in large-group settings. These no threatening environments allow those students to be less self-conscious and more apt to participate and communicate their ideas and questions.