Tuesday, February 18, 2014

UNIT 1 ACTIVITY 1.3


Distance education and open education

When speaking about learning, there are many ways in which a person may enjoy and practice this process. Many people have the need and seek for different options when attempting to learn, and many aspects must be taken in consideration to fulfill these needs. Some characteristics that people tend to look for when choosing their learning method and institution are practicality, accessibility, cost, and time consumption. Many of these aspects are features that make the fundamentals of certain educational systems. In this text, we will give a general definition of distance education, open education, their main differences, and some of their most notorious advantages and disadvantages.
            Distance education could be considered as the way an institution practices its formal education through a separation of students which use technological appliances and services as their main platform for interaction. This platform is the connector between the students, the teachers, and the materials needed to course and approve subjects. Approving subjects leads to obtain valid assessment and significant achievement. It is important to mention that distance education has been practiced since men kind developed communicative technology. Some examples of this technology are the telegraph (first used in 1893), the radio (1916), and the television which appeared in the early twentieth century, and lately, the internet. Moore (2012) says that “different technologies, different teaching techniques, and different types of students all mean that different ways must be found to manage and administer the programs provided.” Nowadays, this modality called distance education has taken an important role in educational institutions due its demand and acceptance among students and teachers.
            In regards of open education, the word “open” opens a starting new perspective. This title embodies a “pre-philosophical understanding that openness as such is the primary constitutive element of the atmosphere that is essential to distinctly human learning.” this according to Nyberg (2010). It does not mean that open education lets learners do whatever they want to; instead, it gives freedom of choosing the tools that will accommodate learners to fulfill their academic achievement. Open education could also be described as an institutional practice that sets access to learning and training. This is reached by eliminating barriers that may prevent pupils from learning.  Open education gives students the hints to become autonomous since the usage of materials and shared information relies on their judgment.
 Distance education and open education also have certain differences. Distance education tends to follow a scheme or curricular plan which is imparted by trainers or teachers. The learners are separated by geographical distance and rely on communication devises to maintain relationships with their mentors and other colleagues. In the United States this is commonly called home school; this system also has pre-determined deadlines for assignment completion.  On the other hand, open education is a term used to ensure that this system of education will try to remove any barriers that may prevent pupils from learning. Some of these barriers are age, time, space, and, in some cases, the skills and abilities of the learner. In open education the learner is responsible for what, how, and where they learn. Both systems, distance and open education, help students achieve a certain level of education; yet, their main differences fall back on which type of education fits which student; this of course, depends on the learner himself, his/her aptitudes, and the achievements he/she possess.
            Distance education has the advantage of being non-expensive, (at least in my own experience) and this makes it very accessible to most people. Nevertheless, distance education may tend to be a little cold in relation to the teacher-student and student-student interaction. As its name implies, distance education tends to be distant in various means.  Open education has also many advantages, and one of them is the emphasis to avoid the barrier of time. This does not mean there is not a dead line to completing courses, but usually the extension of time is very considerable. This advantage could also become a disadvantage for this type of education system. Too much time may create a sense of non-importance on the pupil, and if he/she lacks self-discipline, this issue may considerably reduce the chances of finishing the courses.
            There are several institutions that promote distance and open education. Two of these institutions are the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC, Mexico) and the Pre-university Center (CEPU- Centro Pre-Universitario, Mexico). The UABC promotes distance courses such as Curricular Design, Computers Applied to Education, and Teaching Grammar, among others; these classes prepare students to obtain Bachelor, Master, or Doctor Degrees. However, CEPU, for instance, is an institution that, in co-relation with SEP (Secretariat of Public Education, Mexico) provides tutoring for the Open-High School System in Mexico preparing learners for the approval of their mid-high studies.
            There is no doubt that distance and open education systems are of great service to learners. Although there might be certain factors that make them different, the reality is that both promote education for learners who desire to accomplish a goal in life. These two kinds of education create a greater sense of autonomy, self-discipline, and respect in the student. Both, distance and open education are great ways for learning when different circumstances do not allow learners to attend an in-person school system.

References
David A. Nyberg 2010, The Philosophy of Open Education 
Michael G. Moore & Greg Kearsley  2012, Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning
http://youtu.be/Rb0syrgsH6M


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