Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

For Module 2, I was excited to watch the Siemens' video related to the advanatages of distance education. I have taught in all three formats, f2f, online, and hybrid. I personally enjoy hybrid. It allows learners an opportunity to have structured freedom and the best of both worlds. Students can study at their own pace, have asynchronous discussions that elude time and peer interruptions, and adds a sense of personal ownership and responsibility. In the f2f classroom, students seem to reliant on the instructor. Even with a facilitator who embraces learner-centered education, the dynamic is difficult to shift. Hybrid puts responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the student and still offers the security of f2f social interaction, another important element of education. Purely online learning is another excellent option that works well, but seems to require a level of personal motivation. The biggest complaint that I hear involves a lack of motivation. I suspect that though motivation ebbs and flows, adult learners signing up for online classes already have a motivational edge. As a student enrolled in a project based PhD program, I stuggled under the guidance of a very laid-back mentor. Now that I've switched to a course-based program, I am much more motivated by the week-to-week interaction, deadlines and feedback.