Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur - Faculty of Education
Group Work - Group 3
Names: Asma-Bibi Kartio, Kalander Bux Memon, Safia Chana.Class: M.Phil (Elementary Education).
Course: Information and Communication Technology
Title: Distance Education
Assignment No: 02
Semester No: First Semester
Date: 25 – 02 – 2016
Name of Faculty: Professor Doctor Ghulam Ali Mallah
DISTANCE EDUCATION
Education is a lifelong process through which the individuals are equipped with attitude, skills and knowledge to cope with the challenges of contemporary world. Formal education, informal education, distance education and the natural education are some different processes of educating the people at different age limits and context.
Distance education programmes provide an opportunity to be educated to those students who had remain unable to afford traditional classroom teaching (in different senses) which is costly, time consuming, ineffective, without able, skilled and trained teachers, and full with some other related issues. In distance education instructions are given through print or electronic communication media to engage individuals in planned learning. Now a days, distance education has become popular process of educating the individuals who are unable to be present physically in the classroom settings /schools. Offered self-explanatory courses are completed partly on-sites or through other means like radio, television, internet, video or audio recorded and face to face (online like social networking) discussions with tutors. Distance education is called as distance learning, hybrid or blended education. Now-a-days distance education is also termed as the Virtual education.
Some notable universities from all over the world are busy in providing free or with somehow fees paid distance learning programmes through post mail, radio, television and internet. As Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are offered for interactive and open access through world wide website or other network technologies. Therefore, distance learning is known as e-learning, online learning or distributed learning.
Concept;
The concept of distance education was introduced before this digital age in 1890s -1920s in the form of correspondence courses. And only a few percent students could complete the courses. However, in 2000s, its paradigm was shifted due to increasing online services/ MOOCs and open learning opportunities.
Key Elements;
There are some key elements of distance education like:
• separation of teacher and learner,
• use of print or electronic media to contact teacher with students,
• learners remain as individuals rather than grouped and
• Two way communication of teacher and learner.
Distance Education Process;
In distance education process,
• Individuals are allowed to complete courses and programs without attending face to face or physically scheduled classes of any institution/ university.
• Students do not have to work through daily fixed time table.
• They are given courses that are designed with self-assessment questions and activities.
• They are bound to work according to their given assignments through self-explanatory courses and learning materials for the whole semester.
• They have an opportunity to work from home, from work place, from own pace and spaces of their own choices.
Offered Courses / Certificates, Degrees;
Students are offered a number of certificate courses, diploma courses, technical, mechanical or electrical, science, engineering, health and hygiene, gender perspectives, animal keeping, agricultural, poultry forming, home economics courses, languages, and undergraduate or graduate and post graduate degrees through distance education. Some courses are covered through tutorial process and some courses are completed through online or audio/videos means. Some ongoing assignments are checked by their regional tutors and end-term examination papers are checked in campuses/ boards. Successful candidates are awarded certificates or degrees in their respective courses.
Benefits;
Distance education process is seen as an alternative for those individuals who are looking for their further education or want enhancing their skills for better career prospects. A great number of individuals, who want to compete with the modern issues, they are taking keen interest to get higher education without going to formal education system. Flexibility, adaptability and accessibility are the main characteristics of distance education programmes. As courses are more flexible and time boundless, therefore, millions of students are enrolled in distance education. Not only pre-service people but in-service and full-time job people are also taking admissions in these programmes. In this way, full-time service people can earn and run their families’ expenses and learn through distance education programmes and upgrades their educational, professional and technical qualifications.
Pakistani Universities offering Distance Learning Education;
The oldest distance teacher education program in South Asia was started in Pakistan in 1974 through Allama Iqbal Open University. University also had students from international contexts in late 1980s. In spite this now there are so many other universities in Pakistan that offer the distance learning programmes, names of the universities are;
• Aga Khan University,
• Allama Iqbal Open University,
• Sindh University Jamshoro.
• Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan,
• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for Pakistani and other Developing Countries,
• COMSATS IIT, Virtual Campus,
• Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan,
• Government College University Faisalabad,
• Islamia University Bahawalpur,
• Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology,
• University of Engineering and Technology Lahore,
• University of Peshawar,
• Preston University
• Virtual University of Pakistan and many other.
Course Delivery and Assessment System
All the courses are sent to the candidates through post mails and emails or online systems. Students are bound to study their courses carefully and gain deep understanding of the concepts. They are encouraged to assess themselves through developed questions and activities in the courses. Students are also encouraged to contact with their tutors deputed by developed study centers all over the country. Candidates also watch recorded or live lectures and presentations and listen through radios. The process of delivery and management of the courses is one way because no any direct active interaction and coordination of students, tutors, faculty and courses in one setting can be observed. Assignments, pop quizzes and practice tests are conducted in an informal way. While, mid-term and final examinations for every semesters are conducted in formal designated examination centers throughout the country.
Quality and Standard Assurance;
Although, the quality of the materials produced by universities/institutions for individuals/ teacher education programmes and access to it is acknowledged. Prescribed texts, comprehensive reading materials, lecture notes in the form of web-enabled content are developed by experts. However, quality of the graduates produced by universities is a point of concern. We can conclude that distance education programmes are the viable solutions to meet the rapid and increasing demands of people only. And for quality assurance, a strong mechanism of monitoring, supervision, assessment and mentoring teachers during practicum is highly needed.
Evidence on effectiveness of distance education programmes is thinner than our society demands. Low interactive sessions and low completion rate of the courses adversely affect the growth of distance education schemes. Although modern information and communication technology like, Skype, YouTube and other service engines provide more pace and space for interactive classes. But everyone has not easy access to free and online courses. Moreover, these electronic and print techniques of teaching disables, decreases and deviated the abilities of teachers. The quality and scale of distance education programmes are not mutually exclusive for both the pre- service and in-service candidates. It is the need of the time to revisit, rethink and refine the delivery of the distance education programmes and make them more systematic with well-defined assessment protocols.
Challenges;
For fruitful results it is essential to maintain three types of positive active interface interactions during teaching and learning process. They are teacher-student interaction, student-student interaction and content-student interaction. However the chains of these interface interactions cannot be maintained during teaching learning process. Moreover, social presence, physical distance, eye contact, observation of facial expressions and body language are very powerful tools for active engagement during teaching learning, however, these are also cannot be maintained. Socio-cultural environment and limitation of resources and accessibility are big challenges for distance education.
In short, distance education programmes are very beneficent. This program provides a wide range of courses for individuals of different ages belonging to different fields and contexts. However couple of the deep rooted questions, unwanted challenges and tough situations make this program as questionable and demand some pragmatic solutions for improving its access, availability, productivity and quality as well.