Artifact #3: Introduction to Distance Education and Training

The objective of this assignment was to select an article from one of the course readings and devise a critical analysis of the article.  The article that I selected was Barefoot, B. (2004). Higher education’s revolving door: Confronting the problem of student drop out in US colleges and universities. Open Learning, 19 (1), 9–18. 

My rationale for this selection was to acquire a better understanding of the current state of education, and distance education concepts and methodologies.  Both the assignment and course greatly complemented my understanding of all subsequent M.Ed. course selection.

With the first course and first assignment, I was somewhat nervous and proceeded with some trepidation. I made a concerted effort to discover and uncover the facilitator’s expectations as to what a quality essay should look like.  In all fairness, the assignment details were carefully outlined and contained easy to follow instructions. However, none of this really mattered, as I was still very nervous and wanted to start my M.Ed. journey in a positive and productive way.

To ensure my complete comprehension of the article, I carefully read and analyzed the content of the article that I was critiquing many times over again. This approach to thoroughness and clarity of understanding was my first lesson and introduction to a higher level of education and academic standards. My intention was to clearly articulate and construct my ideas in a logical and meaningful way (4.2).  With this in mind, becoming reacquainted with academic writing skills was essential, if I was to survive the many, many essays that would be written along my M.Ed. journey (4.1). This commitment to quality would improve my analytical skills within my professional life.

Once I started to write my critique, the more I engaged and  the more confidence acquired. I rediscovered that through practice and paying attention to detail, academic writing was a wonderful compliment to my work life (4.8).

 In both academia and employment, it is important to formulate concise ideas, helping to convey your message to those who are the consumers of the essay or work project (4.8). With this in mind, both the course and artifact provided me with the opportunity to learn and to be more focused of the importance of planning ahead of time (5.1).

Most significant for me was developing a high level understanding of the distance education concepts, methodology and research skills.  Each component was essential for the creation of a quality academic essay and critical analysis (6.1).

As I progressed through this first assignment, I found myself eagerly seeking knowledge, to further assist in my understanding of both distance education, wanting to understand the current state of distance education, as well as the potential growth and application of distance education (6.1). What I discovered was that the traditional classroom setting might not be the best approach to learning, at least for some students.  It would be a great benefit for educators to focus on analysis of current education delivery and how to best accommodate and enhance the learner experience. Evaluation of current programs must be ongoing, as “with only a few exceptions, little scrutiny has been given to the way college or university experience is organized and delivered” (Barefoot, 2004).  With this in mind, I really believe that learning must be more flexible and innovative, in its design, delivery, utilizing a variety of learning technologies (6.3). 

Discovering a variety of learning options has really opened my eyes to a new found passion, to seek knowledge and learn, in innovative ways. Then it was assignments #1 that lead me to evaluate alternatives to the traditional classroom setting (3.4). Escaping the mundane classroom setting was of great personal interest, as I often found that lectured-based education was boring, lacking self-exploration. Additionally, as a learner, I found that the traditional classroom setting is very restrictive, for those balancing family and employment obligations; this also holds true for the university student population. It is important to note that the traditional classroom setting might very well be the best option for many; however what this assignment had taught me was to carefully evaluate all options and approaches to learning (1.11). Consequently, my favoritism towards distance education most certainly created a bias against the traditional classroom delivery of education. This preference, as I learned throughout the assignment, impeded my ability to construct my critical analysis in an objective way. Again, another lesson learned that would be of a great benefit to me in both my professional and personal life.

Both the course and the assignment marked the beginning of a wonderful learning journey. It was invaluable to have a well-rounded introduction to distance education. Prior to the introductory course, although I had some knowledge of distance learning, I lacked fundamental knowledge of the history of distance education, leading to the more contemporary practice of distance education and e-learning. Further benefits included having the opportunity to engage in a critical evaluation of a current distance education issue.

This first assignment afforded me the opportunity to further development my research skills, while articulating a clear and concise academic critique. Additionally, the acquisition of both skills and knowledge resulted in a valuable addition to my employment skill. I will profess that it was most certainly essential for me to have the background and theoretical distance education knowledge that I have acquired. Without this introductory course, it would have been very difficult for me to successfully participate in and understand the subsequent course materials and assignments. Furthermore, seeking possible alternatives to the classroom setting was very appealing for me. I have always found that face-to face lectures presented very little value, unless the facilitator encourages interaction, rapport and  an exchange of ideas. In fact, I believe that lectures without open rapport are much similar to listening to an audio book.  I don't believe this to be true with online learning, as students often are provided with the opportunity to  actively participate in discussion forums, as well as  engaging with interactive learning content, that provides feedback and assessment information, often in real time.