Future Offerings in Distance Education

Distance education courses in the future will continue to encounter difficulties with communication, workload, and student engagement. As discussed by Lugmayr et al. (2013) in their Applying “Design Thinking” article, online courses tend to lack effective faculty-to-learner communication: Future Offerings in Distance Education.

Students often become disengaged and experience feelings of isolation because virtual settings cannot replicate the spontaneous, face-to-face interaction that motivates learners. While the article proposes the use of video conferencing and discussion forums to enhance interaction, these tools often fall short of establishing the same bonds that in-person interactions can (Lugmayr et al., 2013).

Distance education is characterized by a higher degree of self-directed learning that is often asynchronous. Since tasks are self-paced, students may have a difficult time managing their time effectively. A challenge for students adjusting to a fully online world is Design Thinking’s iterative nature, which necessitates that learners refine their ideas repeatedly.

Instructors should provide well-defined expectations and check one’s progress regularly, as the absence of constant contact may lead to procrastination and confusion. In a world where instant responses are not available, students may feel stalled without immediate feedback (Lugmayr et al., 2013).

Peer-to-peer exchange, meanwhile, can stall when dialogue is confined to chat boxes and threaded comments. The Design Thinking process thrives on spontaneous whiteboard debates and hallway sketches, interactions that build rapport and spark lateral insights. Virtual spaces, by design, strip away much of that face-to-face conversation, making trust-building and personal critique noticeably harder to engineer (Lugmayr et al., 2013).

Flexibility still ranks as one of distance education’s chief selling points, but it is not without challenges. Instructors must focus on coordinated course design, reliable digital tools, and frequent check-ins to make digital classrooms as reliable.

References

Lugmayr, A., Stockleben, B., Zou, Y., Anzenhofer, S., & Jalonen, M. (2013). Applying “Design Thinking” in the context of media management education. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 71(1), 119–157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-013-1361-8

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Future Offerings in Distance Education
After reading “Applying “Design Thinking” in the Context of Media Management Education (ATTACHED) think about all aspects of learning online: activities, workload, faculty-to-learner communication, and learner-to-learner communication. Post some the issues or challenges that you believe may be in future courses.

Future Offerings in Distance Education

Notes:

• This assignment is for the DIT8950 Teaching Practice Seminar in Information Technology Education course