Traditionally, distance learning provided instructional programs through the use of prepackaged text, audio, and video courses sent to physically isolated students. These initial programs provided very limited interaction between the student and the instructor. With advances in communication technology and the innovation of the educational community, distance learning has become more interactive between the student and the instructor. The new online programs incorporate student collaboration with other students providing a classroom environment for the asynchronous learning community.
Team C Selection of this Important Innovative Program
Team C chose the innovation of the distant learning program as the subject of this assignment because it is the one adult educational program that has influenced all members. This course is a direct result of the innovations made in distance learning. The incorporation of small groups, teams, which produce joint team projects have increased the viability of distance learning and has made it directly competitive with classroom learning.
History of Distance Learning
Distant learning began in the mid-19th century in Europe and the United States (California Distance Learning Project, 2011). These early distance learning programs were innovative at the time of their inception and created through the advances in technology, specifically the new penny post system (California Distance Learning Project, 2011). The next stage of innovation occurred in the 1920s with radio-based courses and later in the 1940s with television-based courses; again technology in the communication sector drove the innovation (California Distance Learning Project, 2011). The advancement of computer-network communication in the 1980s and 1990s produced further innovation in distance learning, moving these courses online. As computer-network communications advance the distance learning courses are
References: California Distance Learning Project. (2011). History of Distance Learning. Retrieved from http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=whatis&pg=3 Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2011). The adult learner, the definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. (7th ed.). Oxford, UK: A Butterworth-Heinemann Title. Schepp, D. (2012). On-The-Job Training. Retrieved from http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/02/13/on-the-job-training-jobs-that-require-no-college-degree-infogr/