Breaking Barriers: An Intersection of the Institution and the Information Superhighway :: Essays Papers

Breaking Barriers An Intersection of the Institution and the Information SuperhighwayWhat it is all about Distance education. What is it? Barry Birnbaum has cited a feasible definition for it in his book, Foundations and Practices in the economic consumption of Distance Education. The definition is according to a study done by Moore and Kearsley in 1996. Birnbaum quotes, distance education is defined as planned learning that unremarkably occurs in a different place and requires a well-defined system of rescue that includes modified teaching techniques, alternative modes for communication (i.e. computers), as well as alternative administrative and organizational components. (Birnbaum, 2001, p. 1)1 Then, again in 1996, another researcher by the name of Keegan assigned 5 criteria in his definition of distance education. These 5 criteria are a.) Separation of teacher and learner throughout the learning process, b.) The influence of the organization in the planning and preparation of learning materials, c.) The use of technical media to unify teacher and learner, d.) The role of two-way communication, and e.) The separation of the learning group during the process. (Birnbaum, 2001, p. 2)2 Bearing these two definitions in mind, let us proceed. I. How it was all started A man named Isaac collier started the whole concept of distance education in England around 1840.(Birnbaum, 2001, p. 10)3 He wanted to create an opportunity for people to learn shorthand that would otherwise, not be able to do so due to work constraints or other everyday obligations. According to Birnbaum, since this period of time, the primary utilization of distance education has been in the field of foreign language. However, other institutions opt to employ distance education as well. For example, the armed services have found that technical training squirt be provided to a large number of military personnel in a cost-effe ctive manner through distance education course delivery modules. (Birnbaum, 2001, p. 11)4 Large corporations such as Best Buy also use e -learning in order to deliver quick, effective training to their employees in location of having an actual time reserved for training the employees.