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Edci 887 Dediscussion

There are three main issues discussed regarding distance education in higher education. First, the influence of media on instruction is unclear, making curriculum design and implementation around media difficult. Second, there is often a lack of knowledgeable leadership and support staff to help develop distance courses and train educators. Third, as distance education advances, information security and ensuring student privacy becomes more challenging with the collection and storage of student data.

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Edci 887 Dediscussion

There are three main issues discussed regarding distance education in higher education. First, the influence of media on instruction is unclear, making curriculum design and implementation around media difficult. Second, there is often a lack of knowledgeable leadership and support staff to help develop distance courses and train educators. Third, as distance education advances, information security and ensuring student privacy becomes more challenging with the collection and storage of student data.

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TeamBAllisonandLia

EDCI887
DEDiscussion

Question4:Therearemanyissuesfacingdistanceeducation/online/hybridlearninginhigher
education(hybridversusonline,retention,qualityassurance,learningmanagementsystem
choices,etc.).EDCAUSEhasagraphicof

toptrendsinInformationTechnologyfrom2000to
2013
thatisinteresting,aswellasarecentreporton

elearninginhighereducation
.Choose
threeissuesinhighereducationdistanceeducationandexplainthembriefly.

Onlinelearning,elearning,anddistancelearningareamongmanydifferenttitlesthat
alldescribedistanceeducation.Allofthesetermsusedtodescribedistanceeducationimply
thatthelearnerandinstructorareseparatedbydistance,butthatthelearnerandinstructor
interactthroughtheuseoftechnology.Therearemanybenefitstodistancelearning.Easy
accessibility,cheapertuition,andpromotionofstudentmotivationandindependenceare
amongonlyafew.However,likeeverythingelseintheworld,thereareissuesthatgoalong
withitaswell.
Oneimportantissueofdistancelearningistheinfluenceofmediaontheinstructional
process.Mediasroleinlearningisunclear.Therefore,itmakesithardtodesignand
implementcurriculumandinstructionaroundit.Mediaisanexcellentsourceofinformation
anddata,notjustentertainment.Itcanbeagreatlearningtool.However,westrugglewith
thefactthatnotallmediaoutlets,orinformationonthemediaisappropriateforthe
classroom.Teachersalsostrugglewithdifferentwaystoincorporatemediaintoourlessons.
Inordertostrengthenmediasrole,educatorsneedtobecomemorefamiliarwithhowitsuse
canpromotelearning.

Anotherimportantissueindistanceeducationisalackofinformed,knowledgeable
leadershipandsupportstaff.Leadershipandsupportstaffwouldhelpdevelopdistance

educationcoursesandprovidetrainingforeducators.Ifteachersarenotprovidedwiththe
propertraining,theyaregoingtolackconfidence,whichwillthenimpactthedistance
curriculum.Teacherswillnotbeabletoincorporatetoolsorotherdistancelearningresources
becausetheydontknowhowtousethem.Therearenotmanyteacherswillingtobecome
moreknowledgeableaboutdistanceeducationbecauseitisunfamiliarterritorycomparedto
thephysicalclassroom.Therefore,therearentmanyeducatorssteppinguptotheplateand
furtheringtheireducationinregardtodistancelearning.

Onamoretechnicalnote,informationsecurityiscomingunderquestionasdistance
educationandthetechnologybehinditadvance.AccordingtoaninfographicbyEDUCAUSE,
informationsecurityiscurrentlythefifthlargestissueofconcernininformationtechnologies
thisyear.(EDUCAUSE,2013)AnarticlebyRobertSiciliano,apersonalsecurityexpert,lists
thecurrentissuesandconsiderationssurroundingpersonalsecurityandonlinelearning.
Thecapturingofstudents'personalinformation
Whatlevelsofprotectionneedtobeapplied
Howlongandwheredataisstored
Usageofappsanddatathatiscaptured
Sharingofdatawithinorganizations.
Optinandoptoutfunctionality
Cloudbasedtoolsandprotections
Sharedcomputersandkeylogging
(Siciliano,2013)
Furthermore,anincreasingissueinDEisacademichonesty.Howdoprofessorsknow
from700milesawaywhetheritisreallyyoutakinganexam?Thisproblemwastraditionally
solvedbyhavingyouanswerpersonalquestions.Buttruthfully,mymothersmaidenname
isntmuchofasecretanymore.(Especiallygiventhatmyfriendsareconnectedwithheron
Facebook!)Thisisgivingwaytonewmodesofidentification,suchaspresentingautilitybill,

andevenextendingintobiometricidentification.(Siciliano,2013)Inthefuture,wecouldbe
loggingintoKStateforexamsusinganirisorfingerprintscan,scifistyle.Truthfully,what
otherwayistheretoprovethatyouarereallyyoufromthatfaraway?
Weliveinachangingworld,andarefurthermore,apartofanexplodingfield.Distance
educationisjusthittingitsstrideasamethodoflearning.Asteacherlearners,weareina
uniquepositiontobeabletoseebothsidesofthefence.Asdistancelearners,weare
navigatinganewspacesoakingupinformationandbuildingbridgesaswego.Asteachers,
weareabletoseetheissuesandbenefitsofDEwiththeclaritythatcomeswithexperience.
Asweprogressintothefuture,wewillcontinuetosolvetheproblemsathand(whichwill
inevitablygivewaytonewissues!)But,letuscontinuetomoveforwardandforgeanewpath
ineducationforasRosaLuxemburgoncesaid,
Thosewhodonotmove,donotnoticetheir
chains.

References

EDUCAUSE(2013,June3).
ITissues
.Retrievedfrom
http://www.educause.edu/educause/visualizations/vis1/index.html
Siciliano,R.(2013,September16).
DistanceLearningPosesSeriousDataSecurity
Issues
.Retrievedfrom
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robertsiciliano/distancelearningposess_b_393809
6.html
Anglin,G.(2011).
Instructionaltechnology:Past,present,andfuture
.(3rded.).SantaBarbara:
ABCCLIO,LLC.

Sherry,L.(1996).Issuesindistancelearning.
InternationalJournalofEducational
Telecommunications
,
1
(4),337365.Retrievedfrom
http://home.comcast.net/~lorraine.sherry/publications/issues.html

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