1. Distance Education
and the Internet
TECH4101
Dr. Alaa Sadik
Instructional & Learning Technologies Department
www.alaasadik.net
alaasadik@squ.edu.om

2. Lecture One (Week 2)
Defining
Distance Education
Distance Education
and the Internet
TECH4101
Interactive Presentation

3. Background:
1.The Industrial Revolution in the 19th
century (see
Wikipedia) →
2.Developments in various fields of technology (give
examples) →
3.Offered new solutions for delivering instruction →
4.Learners’ interests (in what?) were enhanced →
5.Increase in the subject areas offered by distance
education →
6.Became one of the formal means of education.
Defining Distance Education

4. What is distance education or
distance learning?
Defining the meaning of distance education may provide a
good starting point to recognise its elements.
Use Google to search for:
define:distance education
Defining Distance Education

5. Defining Distance Education
‘a term that covers the various forms of
study at all levels which are not under the
continuous immediate supervision of tutors
present with their students in lecture rooms,
but which, benefit from the planning,
guidance and tuition of a tutorial
organisation’ (Holmberg, 1977, p. 9).

6. Defining Distance Education
 Distance education is a method of
education in which the learner is physically
separated from the teacher by space and
time.
 Distance education materials are often
structured in ways that facilitate learning at
a distance.
Rumble (1989)

7. Defining Distance Education
 the majority of educational communication
between the teacher and students occurs
non-contiguously.
 involve two-way communication
technology between the teacher and
students for the purpose of facilitating and
supporting the educational process.
Garrison and Shale 1990, p. 25

8. In Conclusion
 The separation of teacher and learner;
 The separation among learners;
 The use of technology to deliver the
subject matter; and
 The use of a communication channel to
facilitate interaction and support learners.

9. What is distance education or distance
learning?
Defining Distance Education
mode of delivering education and instruction, often on
an individual basis, to students who are not physically
present in a traditional setting such as a classroom.
Distance learning provides "access to learning when
the source of information and the learners are
separated by time and distance, or both.

10. Distance Education
Distance education : is when a student is
not required to be physically present to attend
regular classes and can appear for exams only. In
certain cases, the student can attend weekend
classes (if provided by the university). Distance
education is basically designed keeping in mind
the off-campus students, who unable to attend
regular classes.

11. Distance Learning
Distance Learning is :more like self-study,
relying on course material sent from the
University itself. But distance education comes as
a boon not only for young aspiring students, but
for many working professionals, housewives,
school drop-outs as well.

12. Distance Education
(old technology)
Distance education dates back to at
least as early as 1728 when an
advertisement in the Boston Gazette
promoted "Caleb Phillips, Teacher of
the new method of Short Hand," who
sought students who wanted to learn
through weekly mailed lessons

13. Examples of Old Technology

14. Distance Education
(modern technology)
There's nothing new about that: human brains have been
changing, adapting and developing in response to outside
stimuli for centuries.
Electronic devices and pharmaceutical drugs all have an
impact on the micro- cellular structure and complex
biochemistry of our brains. And that, in turn, affects our
personality, our behavior and our characteristics. In short,
the modern world could well be altering our human identity
Read more:

15. Examples of Modern Technology

16. Defining Distance Education
Time for
Presentation

17. Defining Distance Education
In conclusion, many key features characterize
distance education:
1. The separation of teacher and learner;
2. The separation among learners;
3. The use of one medium to deliver instruction;
and
4. The use of a communication channel to
facilitate interaction and support learners.