Guiding Principles for Distance Teaching and Learning

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Guiding Principles for Distance Teaching and
Learning

• Valorie F. McAlpin
• University of Maryland - College Park

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Basic Assumptions

• Similarity between f2f and distance.
• Include a variety of learning environments and
  information appliances.
• application of existing technologies highly
  effective for various audiences and objectives.

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Purpose

• Guidelines for identifying and evaluating
  distributed teaching and learning resources.
• Guidelines for support services and
  administrative policies not included.

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Guiding Principles

• The learning experience must have a clear
  purpose with tightly focused outcomes and
  objectives.

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Guiding Principles

• Nature of content
• specific context
• outcomes and characteristics of learner
• modular, stand alone
• open, flexible and self-directing

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Guiding Principles

• The learner must be actively engaged.

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Guiding Principles

• Active
• hands-on
• concrete experiences
• real-life experiences
• learning by doing
• analogy
• assimilation

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Guiding Principles

• The learning environment makes appropriate use
  of a variety of media.

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Guiding Principles

• learning styles
• selection of media
• nature of content
• learning goals
• access to technology
• local environment

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Guiding Principles

• Learning environments must include problem-based
  as well as knowledge-based learning.

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Guiding Principles

• Problem-based
• analysis
• synthesis
• evaluation
• Knowledge-based
• recall
• comprehension
• application

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Guiding Principles

• Learning experiences should support interaction
  and the development of communities of interest.

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Guiding Principles

• Multiple interactions
• group collaboration
• cooperative learning
• learning communities
• enhanced learning outcomes

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Guiding Principles

• The practice of distance learning contributes to
  the larger social mission of education and
  training in a democratic society.

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Guiding Principles

• Knowledge construction
• empowering learners
• encouraging critical thinking
• changing mental models

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Quality Distance Teaching Learning

• Fosters meaning-making, discourse
• Moves from knowledge transmission to
  learner-controlled systems
• Provides for reciprocal teaching
• Is learner-centered
• Encourages active participation, knowledge
  construction

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Quality Distance Teaching Learning

• Based on higher level thinking skills--analysis,
  synthesis, and evaluation
• Promotes active learning
• Allows for group collaboration and cooperative
  learning
• Provides multiple levels of interaction
• Focuses on real-world, problem solving