Design principles for online instruction: a new kind of classroom

Online learning is deeply rooted in correspondence and distance education (DE) models. While the term “distance education” was coined from the earliest days of correspondence offerings, it is the evolution in technologies that seems to be changing the nature of DE significantly (Demiray & Isman, 1999). That is, newer technologies have cultivated paradigmatic shifts in education (Frick, 1991). In the 1900’s, distance education attempted to mimic the traditional classroom lecture via the transmission of live or “canned” broadcasts, regardless of the technologies used: satellite, television, film, or radio. These kinds of media predisposed DE to closely adhere to the lecture (sit and absorb) model, where content was disseminated in about the same time constraints as a traditional class: taught at scheduled times throughout the week – almost anywhere but not always anytime. Moreover, the modes of presentation in classic DE seemed to hinder the kinds of human interactions normally experienced in the traditional classroom, fostering individualized and isolated learning experiences.

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E-learning ,

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