What is distance education?  

Distance education, or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on the pedagogy, technology, and instructional system designs that aim to deliver education to students who are not physically “on site” in a traditional classroom or campus. It has been described as a process to create and provide access to learning when the source of information and the learners re separated by time and distance, or both. In other works, distance learning is the process of creating an educational experience of equal quality for the learner to best suit their needs outside the classroom. Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason (including taking examinations) is considered a hybrid or blended course of study. This emerging technology is becoming widely used in universities and institutions around the globe. With the recent trend of technological advance, distance learning is becoming more recognized for its potential in providing individualized attention and communication with students internationally.

What is ONLINE distance education? 

Virtual Classroom: A virtual classroom is a learning environment created in the virtual space. The objectives of a virtual classroom are to improve access to advanced educational experiences by allowing students and instructors to participate in remote learning communities using personal computers; and to improve the quality and effectiveness of education by using the computer to support collaborative learning process. The explosion of the knowledge age has changed the context of what is learnt and how it is learnt – the concept of virtual classrooms is a manifestation of this knowledge revolution. The courses offered by IACC and delivered through e-training for dogs are a combination of the following virtual classroom delivery methods:  

-         Hypertext courses: Structured course material is used as in a conventional distance education program. However, all material is provided electronically and can be viewed with a browser. Hyperlinks connect text, multimedia parts and exercises in a meaningful way.

-         Video based courses are like face to face classroom courses, with a lecturer speaking and power point slides or online examples used for illustration. Video streaming technologies are used. Students watch the video by means of freeware or plug-ins (e.g. Windows Media Player, Real Player).

-         Animated courses: Enriching text oriented or audio based course material by animations is generally a good way of making the content and its appearance more interesting. Animations are created using Macromedia Flash or similar technologies. These animations help understand key concepts and also allow for better retention of learning.  

Students in virtual education typically acquire knowledge in a uni-directional manner first (e.g. by studying a video, reading a textbook chapter). Subsequent discussions of problems, solving exercises, case studies, review questions, video submissions and so on, help the students to understand better what they learned before. Electronic media like a discussion forum, chat room, voice mail, email etc., are employed for communication. Homework assignments are normally submitted electronically, e.g. as an attachment to an email, though some students still prefer to send their completed work via fax or regular mail. When help is needed, professors or a help desk are available, just like in a real college. The difference is that all communication goes via electronic media.

PROS – classes are recorded so review of material is as easy as logging back into the classroom to listen to the presentation again; access classes as your schedule permits anytime of the day or night; structure without restrictions; no need to have superior or fast note taking skills; no need to travel; receive individual and personalized instruction (you won’t get lost in  a room full of faces).

What is PAPER BASED distance education? 

A paper based distance education provides the students with the same curriculum and resources as the online education but without the need for access to technology. Students receive their manuals and training videos in hard copy form via regular mail. They submit their completed homework assignments back to IACC via regular mail or fax. Students receive support from IACC’ professors via telephone, fax or regular mail. Students who wish to receive their educational materials and support via email are most welcome to request this. This form of program delivery is best suited for those individuals who do not have access to high speed internet and who are also very strong independent learners that are able to work in an unstructured, self paced learning environment.

PROS – access the course work as your schedule permits, any time of day or night; structure without restrictions; no need to travel.