Media Options Do the Explanations

Media Options Do the explanations there apply in the distance education programs you know about? Reading Michael G. Moore's editorial on "Media Options" in distance education, I recalled an advertisement I once saw for an online distance learning program in computer technology.

The program description contained a note: "student must have access to a computer." I laughed, wondering what use the program could be to someone without a computer, or even to someone who was not technologically savvy or engaged enough to own one, or at least use one daily at work or school, in today's day and age.

A distance education program on computers would, in short, be ineffective in the extreme, if it did not use computers! However, a distance education program that attempted to convey a speaking knowledge of a foreign language would be lacking if it did not have at least some occasional face-to-face interaction to have the student practice speaking the language, or at least have some technology, such as voice recognition software or two-way video screens, to add such a component to the class.

The nature of the subject matter, the number of the students, and the technological sophistication of the school (and the students) are all vital considerations in distance education appropriateness to specific media. Highly technical subjects that can be tested with exams and have strict and enclosed bodies of knowledge, like the sciences, are easier to teach through a distance learning medium than those that require more interactive learning, like foreign languages and the fine arts like drawing -- or dance!

English classes can be conducted effectively, though the use of discussion boards, because they are more verbal than visual in nature, but even they may lose something in the translation from the live classroom to the realm of the Internet. For example, students who do not feel like putting in much effort can simply skim the reading and post a few vague things on a discussion board, without being forced to interact with their fellow pupils about the issues raised by the author of the literary work.

Student personality also affects the efficacy online format -- some extroverted students need the energy generated by the class to feel fully engaged with any material, regardless of the subject matter. Also, some students need individualized tutoring and support for material they find difficult, like the sciences.

Moore stresses the importance of motivation and enthusiasm about the subject, and learning in general as critical aspects of benefiting from online learning formats, but having a learning style well-suited to the format may be another important part of creating an online classroom that 'works.' Older students who feel uncomfortable with revealing themselves online may have difficulty reaping the full benefits of an online classroom, no matter what their level of motivation.

Selecting good textbook and online content, providing real-life support through tutoring satellites, and incorporating as much interactive technology as possible, through Blackboards, video and talk sessions, and email, are all vital aspects of making any online class work. Perhaps the moral of Moore's article is that no teacher can make an online class functional on his or her own 'steam,' the students and the material must be well-suited to the environment. However there are many steps that teachers can take to enhance.