Modules Summary and Reflection

Introduction
As a result of this course, I have been able to identify current issues in administering distance
education programs, examine effective instructional design strategies for distance education, and
evaluate my personal beliefs and attitudes about distance education. In this paper, I have
summarized the content for modules 6 - 10 for the Foundations of Distance Education course.
Throughout this course, I have had opportunities to reflect on my learning experiences and
evaluate how I have gained new knowledge about the major aspects of distance education that
will assist me in my future endeavors.
Module 6 - Instructional Design
Instructional design is to the instructional technologist as the rule of law is to the lawyer,
the prescription of medicine is to the medical doctor, and the scientific method is to the
chemist- a way of thinking and solving problems (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright &
Zvackek, 2012).
Planning for instruction in a distance education courses requires a great deal of time to properly
prepare for the course. There are four components in distance education that are interacting in
order to create a learning environment for successful student learning. These components
include the learner, the content, the method and materials and the environment (Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012). To begin with, it is necessary for the instructor to get to
know the students, their general knowledge and abilities as well as their background and
expectations for the course. It is important for the instructor to include visual presentations that
illustrate key concepts while also including interactive group assignments. The instructional
strategies should include opportunities for the students to discover the information to engage
all the learners in active learning (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012). The

students should have resources and materials that can be used without instructor intervention
(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012). Setting up the instructional design for the
course using the Unit-Module-Topic model with specific learning outcomes addressed during
each unit enables the instructor to directly relate to each learning outcome (Simonson, Smaldino,
Albright & Zvackek, 2012).
Module 6 - Reflection
As I reflect on the importance of instructional design, I can see how much more important it is to
plan and prepare for the instruction in distance education courses. As a result of this distance
education class, I can see how more time and planning on my part would be needed to effectively
teach a distance education course. Previously, I thought that teaching a distance education
course would be easier than the traditional method but I now know that is not the case. This
assumption was not entirely correct because I did not consider the requirements associated with
identifying and replicating the face to face interaction in a variety of ways to teach the course. I
learned that it is more than just using the same materials and resources used in a traditional
course to teach the distance education course. One must remember that the face to face
interaction is a key component that is missing thus it is necessary for the instructor to find other
methods that could replicate this interaction with the students and/or instructor throughout the
course. There is a need to spend the initial time planning and preparing in order to maximize the
learning experiences for the students.

Module 7 - Student Perspective

Remember, education is an activity, not a product. You are not given education; you
learn it (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012).

There are many characteristics, responsibilities and expectations from the student perspective
that affect the learning experience for students in distance education. There are a few skills
needed to be successful in an online class experience. I believe that these skills are very similar
for any student not matter if they are completing coursework face to face or online. To begin
with, it is important to be self-motivated and disciplined in establishing a regular routine and
schedule for completing assignments in a timely manner. I have found that I have the least stress
when I keep my weekly scheduled time for studying. Good time management skills also help
with balancing work, school and family life. Being technologically savvy is a major skill set that
is required for online coursework. This is an area that I am continuously improving and I have
found that asking for help or using online tutorials have been very helpful. I have found some of
the things that I have learned in the online coursework has helped me in my teaching career as
well. Having good communication skills both verbal and written is another skill set that is
needed to be successful in an online course. This includes communicating with the instructor
especially when there are concerns with understanding the coursework or perhaps issues with
technology or even missing the class. It is also important to communicate regularly with other
class members. It is important to be a part of a collaborative learning community to share
information and learn information from one another. I have found that having opportunities to
collaborate with others has enabled me to create a network of very knowledgeable team members
in whom I have a great deal of respect.

Module 7 - Reflection
My distance education courses for my Masters degree and now my coursework towards
the PhD in Curriculum and Instruction have enabled me to meet my personal and professional
goals while also meeting my responsibilities as a parent, wife, teacher and student. Overall, it is
the best option for meeting my familys needs. Overall, more women mentioned family and
children as a primary reason for selecting a distance education setting over a face-to-face setting
(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012). My online coursework has been beneficial in
saving me time and money since there is no need to travel to campus for the face-to-face
instruction. In addition, this online distance education course has enabled me to improve how I
teach science. One of my greatest concerns is always being prepared to impact student learning
in a positive manner. Based on being a student in this course, I know that I have been properly
prepared to instruct a distance education course. I have learned how to effectively use visuals,
technology and resources to maximize student learning outcomes. This training will also assist
me in my current teaching as I implement aspects of distance education that I would refer to as
flipping the classroom into my teaching.
Module 8 - Teacher Perspective
Printed handouts and teaching and learning materials are critically important to the
effective practice of distance education. First, the course syllabus is the glue that holds
the course or the learning experience together..Second, the interactive study guide
(ISG) is a very important tool that provides the distance learner with a logical sequence for
the distance education lesson (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012).
The syllabus for a distance education course is very similar to the one used in other courses
except for the specificity and completeness of the distance education course (Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012).

The syllabus serves as a guide and is a document that

organizes the course for the student. The interactive study guide is another tool that assists by

guiding the student through the lesson. Some elements of design that assist the student in a
distance education course include graphics, word pictures, visual analogies, tables and figures.
In distance education, the learning process is student centered. For in distance education, the
online resources promote active learning, collaboration, mastery of material, and student control
over the learning process (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012).
Module 8 Reflection
The assignment for this module provided me with an opportunity to create a syllabus for a future
distance education science course. It was an eye opening experience to create a course syllabus
and to see the level of detail required for a distance education course. I experienced some
challenges associated with changing my traditional science course into a distance education
course. I believe that it was more challenging that what I initially envisioned because I had to
consider all the components of teaching and learning at a distance. It was necessary to
communicate the details since it would be beneficial to the students as well as the instructor.
This assignment provided me with guidelines to follow when updating the syllabus that I am
currently using in my classroom.
Module 9 - Management of Distance Education
At the very heart of the distance education administrators responsibility is the matter of
readiness- institutional readiness, faculty readiness, and student readiness. ..Therefore, it
is imperative that distance education activities take place in an environment most
conducive for achieving success. Leading the initiatives to attain organizational and
individual faculty readiness should be central to a distance education administrators
duties (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012).
The distance education administrator is responsible for providing leadership, direction,
oversight, quality control and accountability for the distance education courses and program. It
is necessary to analyze the potential market, examine the resources and student support available

within an organization, and the readiness of the technology infrastructure to support a distance
education program. There are several subsystems to manage within distance education
programs. The regulatory subsystem includes the overall function of the distance education
program, planning, funding and assessment. The course subsystem includes the design,
development of the course such as the licensing, evaluation, faculty and student support. The
student subsystem includes admitting students, student support services, managing and
maintaining progress of the students. The logistical subsystem functions to purchase and
maintain equipment and to employ and train personnel. The distance education program must
also meet the accessibility guidelines that provide students with disability support services and
accommodations.
Module 9 - Reflection
This module provided me with an overview of the administrative responsibilities associated with
maintaining a viable distance education program. It was informative for me to gain insight into
another career path for managing the various subsystems for distance education. As a result of
researching the careers associated with distance education programs and exploring the
administrators responsibilities for my assignment in this module, I received information on the
career opportunities available in this area that I was not previously aware. I was also reminded
about the importance of teamwork. The distance education programs require dedicated
individuals in all areas of the educational community to support the students and assist the
instructors with being successful.

Module 10 - Ethics & Copyright

If guidelines are not applicable, fair use cannot be determined, and the TEACH Act does
not apply, distance educators should obtain permission from rights holders before using
copyrighted materials in their courses, as challenging as that task may seem (Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012).

In sum, this module provided an overview of the myths and facts related to copyright in distance
education. There are two conditions that must be present for the work to be eligible for
copyright protection. The first condition applies to works of authorship representing tangible
expression of ideas, requiring originality and some degree of creativity (Simonson, Smaldino,
Albright & Zvackek, 2012). An example of this in distance educations may include the
instructors notes, email messages, and PowerPoints. The second condition is the work must be
fixed in a tangible medium of expression (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvackek, 2012).
An example of this in distance education may include digitally recorded classes or videos.
Educators must understand the criteria for fair use of the copyrighted work. The criteria or the
four factor test according to Copyright Connection is

The purpose and character of use

The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a
whole
The effect of the use on the market or potential market for the original work
(Four factor test, 2014)
Module 10 - Reflection

The module on Ethics and Copyright was a great resource for me since I have never been
formally trained on the copyright guidelines for educators. I know I have probably violated
some of these guidelines on my classroom webpage and this will be a valuable resource for me
in the future. I often find myself asking my colleagues to cite their resources whenever they

borrow resources from other educators i.e. activities, labs, worksheets etc. in order to use with
the students. I think it is important to include at a minimum the website for the resource on the
document. I think that we need also need to train our students and also reinforce this
information with all of our students. I am constantly asking my students to cite their resources so
I know this is definitely a concern with my students. In addition to the students, I find that this is
also a concern with my peers as well. This module has been helpful and is one that should be
required for all educators.
Conclusion
As a result of this course, I have gained valuable tools to assist me with teaching a distance
education course. I have also gained some valuable instructional tools that have already assisted
me in my science classroom. These instructional tools include properly applying the copyright
guidelines, ideas for online resources for teaching and learning, and using Padlet and Google
docs with my students. The Foundations of Distance Education should be a required course for
all Pre-Service Teachers because it provides an overview of the foundations required for
teaching and learning in distance education.
Resources:
Four factor test. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2014, from
http%3A%2F%2Fdepts.washington.edu%2Fuwcopy%2FCopyright_Law%2FFair_Use%
2FFour.php.
Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvackek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance:
Foundations of distance education (M. R. Simonson, Author). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.