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Charissa Asbury
OMDE 601 - Section 9040
3/17/2010
Describe and explain the extent to which distance and online learning are likely to change higher
education drastically in the future.

New advances in technology have created a wealth of powerful tools capable of changing

the “learning ecology” of distance education (Duffy, 2008, p.119). The Internet and Web 2.0

technologies allow us to envision a community where learning is based solely on a social and

technological construct built for the autonomous learner. In order for distance education to remain

effective in the face of this changing environment, it must adapt to meet the needs of students as

they transition into autonomous learners. If distance education is capable of the required

transformation, the landscape of higher education will be dramatically altered.

The potential for distance education to make this transformation rests on modern pedagogy.

A sound pedagogy provides a theory that is the basis of practice (Simonson, Schlosser, & Hanson,

1999). If pedagogy allows for innovation, then the practice of distance education can embrace

change. If pedagogy is inflexible, then the practice will remain stationary, and the needs of the

independent learner will reamian unaddressed. To gain insight into the potential of distance

education to meet the needs of the autonomous learner, this paper examines three pedagogies:

Peter’s theory of industrialized education, Moore’s theory of transactional distance, and

Holmberg’s theory of the teaching-learning conversation.

Peters (1994) presents a theory of distance education that parallels the process of

industrialization. This method requires rationalization in the sense that systematic steps must be

taken to ensure the production of high-quality products at a low cost. This maximization process

requires the division of labor and a mechanized system of product design and delivery. Strict
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planning and organization guide the mass assembly of standardized goods. Supported by scientific

control measures, rationality requires continual assessment of the system and demands rapid

changes to maintain efficiency. A change in one component of the system requires alterations in the

others (Peters, 2004). As applied to distance education, this pedagogy neither “precludes

individualization nor excludes adaptation” (Holmberg, 2005, p.112). In fact, a shift in the needs of

the student in regard to independent study would automatically activate system-wide adjustments

to satisfy these demands.

Moore’s theory of transactional distance explains the qualitative interplay between dialogue,

structure, and learner autonomy. Dialogue includes all interactions between the teacher and the

learner in the educational process (Moore, 2005). Structure refers to the components of course

design that determine “the extent to which a program is responsive to the needs of the individual

learner” (Simonson et al., 1999). Transactional distance is measured over the continuum of space

between structure and dialogue and increases as a function of greater structure and less dialogue.

Autonomy, or the ability of the learner to take charge of the learning process, is both a result and a

requirement of the combination of dialogue and structure that determines transactional distance

(Moore, 2005). The principles of transactional distance demonstrate that dialogue and structure

can be combined to develop programs specifically tailored for the autonomous learner (Michael G.

Moore in Bernath, & Vidal, 2007).

Holmberg’s pedagogy of the empathetic teaching-learning conversation considers that

interactions between human beings are central to distance education and empathy is the “guiding

principle” (Holmberg, 2003, p.41). Empathetic interactions between the student, tutor, and

institution promote the emotional involvement of the learner in the learning process. This can

serve to motivate students to achieve their goals (Holmberg, 2005). The empathetic conversation
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strives to emulate a Socratic form of learning, which is capable addressing the requirements of all

students including those of the autonomous learner (Borje Holmberg in Bernath & Vidal, 2007,

p.432).

Under these three pedagogies, the future of distance education is promising. Upon

examination, it can be shown that current pedagogy is extremely flexible in response to the needs

of the student. This provides the foundation for a practice of education that is capable of adapting

to the demands of autonomous learners in the new era of technological innovation. In fact,

distance education may be uniquely qualified to embrace innovation in ways that other less

flexible institutions cannot. With the capability for rapid transformation and response, distance

education has the potential to change the landscape of higher education.

References:

Bernath, B., & Vidal, M. (2007). The theories and the theorists: Why theory is important for
research. Distance et savoirs, 5(3). 427-458.

Duffy, P. (2008). Engaging the YouTube Google-Eyed generation: Strategies for using Web 2.0
technology in teaching and learning, The electronic Journal of e-Learning 6(2) pp.119-130.
Retreived March 1, 2010, from http://www.ejel.org/Volume-6/v6-2i/duffy.pdf

Holmberg, B. (2003). Distance education is essence. Oldenburg: Bibliotheks- und

Informationssystem der Universität Oldenburg.

Holmberg, B. (2005). The evolution, principles and practices of distance education. Oldenburg:
Bibliotheks- und Informationssystem der Universität Oldenburg.

Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2005). Distance education: A systems view (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.

Peters, O. (1994). Distance education and industrial production: a comparative interpretation in

outline. In D. Keegan (Ed.), Otto Peters on distance education. The industrialization of teaching
and learning (pp. 107-127). London: Routledge.
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Peters, O. (2004). Distance education in transition - New trends and challenges (4th ed.).
Oldenburg: Bibliotheks-und Informationssystem der Universität Oldenburg.

Simonson, M., Schlosser, C., & Hanson, D. (1999). Theory and distance education. A new
discussion. The American Journal of Distance Education, 13(1), 60-75.