Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur GRADUATE SCHOOL ISO 9001:2008 COURSE: SUBJECT: PREPARED BY: PROFESSOR: TOPIC: MASTER OF ARTS IN NURSING CLINICAL TEACHING II APPLE MAE D. PILARTE PROF. MANILYN N. RIVERA DISTANCE LEARNING DISTANCE LEARNING Distance learning, also known as correspondence education or home study, is a form of education where there is little or no face-to-face interaction between students and their instructors. Distance learning students usually study from home, instead of attending physical classes. Distance learning, also called distance education, e-learning, and online learning, form of education in which the main elements include physical separation of teachers and students during instruction and the use of various technologies to facilitate student-teacher and student-student communication. Distance learning traditionally has focused on nontraditional students, such as full-time workers, military personnel, and nonresidents or individuals in remote regions who are unable to attend classroom lectures. However, distance learning has become an established part of the educational world, with trends pointing to ongoing growth. Modern distance learning courses employ Web-based course-management systems that incorporate digital reading materials, podcasts (recorded sessions for electronic listening or viewing at the student’s leisure), e-mail, threaded (linked) discussion forums, chat rooms, and test-taking functionality in virtual (computer-simulated) classrooms. Students and institutions embrace distance learning with good reason. Universities benefit by adding students without having to construct classrooms and housing, and students reap the advantages of being able to work where and when they choose. Public-school systems offer specialty courses such as small-enrollment languages and Advanced Placement classes without having to set up multiple classrooms. In addition, homeschooled students gain access to centralized instruction. FOUR CHARACTERISTICS DISTINGUISH DISTANCE LEARNING First, distance learning is by definition carried out through institutions; it is not self-study or a nonacademic learning environment. The institutions may or may not offer traditional classroom-based instruction as well, but they are eligible for accreditation by the same agencies as those employing traditional methods. Second, geographic separation is inherent in distance learning, and time may also separate students and teachers. Accessibility and convenience are important advantages of this mode of education. Well-designed programs can also bridge intellectual, cultural, and social differences between students. Third, interactive telecommunications connect individuals within a learning group and with the teacher. Most often, electronic communications, such as e-mail, are used, but traditional forms of communication, such as the postal system, may also play a role. Whatever the medium, interaction is essential to distance education, as it is to any education. The connections of learners, teachers, and instructional resources become less dependent on physical proximity as communications systems become more Page 1 of 5 Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur GRADUATE SCHOOL ISO 9001:2008 sophisticated and widely available; consequently, the Internet, mobile phones, and e-mail have contributed to the rapid growth in distance learning. Finally, distance education, like any education, establishes a learning group, sometimes called a learning community, which is composed of students, a teacher, and instructional resources—i.e., the books, audio, video, and graphic displays that allow the student to access the content of instruction. Social networking on the Internet promotes the idea of community building. On sites such as Facebook and YouTube, users construct profiles, identify members (“friends”) with whom they share a connection, and build new communities of like-minded persons. In the distance learning setting, such networking can enable students’ connections with each other and thereby reduce their sense of isolation. ADVANTAGES It gives students greater access to education. Students who are unable to attend classes due to disabilities, or due to family responsibilities, may be able to further their studies via distance learning. It is more affordable. Students can save money by not having to travel to classes. It gives students the option to work and study at the same time. Because distance learning students are free to study according to their own schedules, they can easily fit in their studies around their work commitments. It allows students to study at their own pace. Students won’t be under pressure to keep up with the rest of the class, and they won’t be held back by slower students. They can also choose how much time to spend on each section of the course material. It allows students to choose from a wider variety of courses. Students aren’t limited to studying courses that are offered by academic institutions in their geographical areas. It helps students to develop valuable skills. Students will be able to improve their selfdiscipline, sense of responsibility, time management, and independent thinking skills by studying largely on their own via distance learning. It presents students with fewer distractions. While the social aspect of campus life often distracts students from their studies, distance learning makes it easier for students to remain focused. DISADVANTAGES There is no face-to-face contact with teachers or lecturers. However, many distance learning institutions provide students with academic support via telephone, email, post, and instant messaging. There is often minimal interaction with other students. However, students may be able to interact online, or they may decide to form their own study groups. It requires high levels of self-discipline. In most cases, there won’t be anyone checking up on students to make sure that they get through their work on time. CLINICAL EDUCATION IN DISTANCE LEARNING Page 2 of 5 Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur ISO 9001:2008 GRADUATE SCHOOL INTERACTIVE TELEVISION CLASSES Classes are taught in a specially equipped classroom called the Interactive Television or ITV room. Students at remote classrooms will view their instructor, presentation materials, and other students through monitors or video projector screens (if there is more than one). Microphones allow instructors and students alike to hear and respond to each other as in traditional classrooms. ITV CLASSROOM Physical layout The furniture of the ITV classroom features the usual desks — or tables — and chairs. Even in this essential, however, differences abound between ITV and traditional classrooms. A tour of sites on the World Wide Web concerned with distance learning and featuring photos of ITV classroom setups at various institutions reveals that at most sites tables seating two or three, rather than the individual desk-chairs more common now in traditional classrooms, are the norm. As in the traditional classroom, various factors including class size and teaching approach may dictate arrangement of the tables in a U-shape, in straight rows, or in V-shaped rows. In contrast to the traditional classroom, in the case of the ITV classroom we must add the number and positioning of studio cameras to the list of factors affecting decisions about seat arrangement. The arrangement of tables in rows facing the instructor is the most common configuration; this way, a single camera mounted above the instructor's head may tilt, pan and zoom as necessary to capture the image of any student in the classroom more or less in full face. If students sit in a Ushape, the ITV technicians must employ different cameras and angles to capture different students' images, adding to the complexity of their work. The camera's capacity for creating a unified point of view on screen may be exploited for instructional purposes. Page 3 of 5 Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur ISO 9001:2008 GRADUATE SCHOOL Behind the scenes The ITV medium requires the participation of many specialized technical personnel, including engineers who work behind the scenes to operate cameras, compose onscreen images, monitor and adjust sound levels, manage the sending of signals, and troubleshoot. Cooperation between these engineers and the teacher is essential for management of the ITV classroom, and for this reason the teacher often gives explicit instructions regarding class management for the benefit of the engineers. Teacher's station The instructor in the ITV classroom sits at a special “station” at the originating site which consists of a chair and table plus special technical equipment, and faces the class. This furniture configuration is similar to that in the traditional classroom except for the presence of the additional equipment. The presence of this equipment and the necessity of avoiding sudden moves out of camera range limits the instructor's mobility and creates a certain amount of separation from the students he is facing. Tools for the student Students in the ITV classroom have direct control over microphones placed on the tables or desks in front of them. In some cases, every student has a microphone, and in some cases microphones are shared, usually among two or three students. Some types of microphones are activated by a button that toggles on and off, and some by the more traditional sliding switch. The preferred practice is for the student who wishes to speak to turn on the microphone, identify herself if the instructor has not already done so, speak, and then turn the microphone off. Student microphones are generally not left on, as this creates audio feedback. Because voices are amplified in the ITV classroom, and also because students (particularly those at receive sites) cannot all see each other at any given time, if more than one student speaks at once using the microphones then the potential for disruption of communication is even greater than if several students speak at once in the traditional classroom. Students not visible to one another may make simultaneous bids to speak, and without visual cues may find smooth turntaking difficult. Instructor management of turn-taking can ameliorate this problem; improvement is also seen with increased student experience in the classroom. Audio interaction is mediated technologically by technical personnel handling the control board, who must constantly readjust the input levels from various sources to avoid audio feedback. Because of the potential for audio feedback, instructional strategies that would require all students to turn their microphones on at the same time are not advisable. The instructor's microphone, on the other hand, is usually kept on throughout the class. The visual presenter The visual presenter is an important tool in the ITV instructor's array, allowing full-color display of materials placed on a flat surface, including written or printed materials. ITV (Interactive Television) courses provide access to instruction at two or more campus locations via television and telephone. This type of distance learning course is used for courses with low Page 4 of 5 Republic of the Philippines CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur GRADUATE SCHOOL ISO 9001:2008 enrollments to increase student enrollment for courses that are unique to one specific campus location. ITV provides flexibility and convenience in course offerings which allows you to choose a campus closer to home or work, yet fully participate in the regularly scheduled class. All ITV classes are broadcast in real time. TWO TYPES OR ITV COURSES Interactive Television One-Way Video Audio and visual signals are sent from the main campus (send site) to any of the other campuses, or any other location that has been appropriately equipped (receive site). Participants at the receive sites ask questions or make comments through an elaborate telephone system. Interactive Television Two-Way Video This technology is a telecommunications system which allows for two-way audio and twoway video transmissions. These sessions can originate from any campus location and be shared with the other locations. Outside facilities that have compatible systems can also receive or send information to the college via this technology. This alternative delivery technique is used to deliver courses that require active interaction between the instructor and the participants at multiple locations. DISTANCE LEARNING VIA INTERNET While distance education programs are offered via a large variety of communication mediums, online education, via the Internet, is now the norm. In 1996, Jones International University was the first higher education institution to launch a fully online accredited degree program. In the following years, most major colleges and universities quickly followed suit. Even though for-profit universities have been the quickest to adopt and exploit Internet technology to offer online degrees to the masses, the majority of public colleges now offer their academic programs completely online as well. Common fields of study pursued online include, but are not limited to, programs in business, psychology, criminal justice, health sciences, computer science, design and liberal arts. Distance learning has quickly been adopted as the training and education method of choice among busy working professionals. Online distance learning programs offer the most affordable and convenient means of earning a degree, improving skills and pursuing a higher education. Distance learning programs involve many kinds of technology. The Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) are the primary means of presenting educational information. Once learners have subscribed to, or signed up for an Internet provider, they gain access to the educational materials and services designed for the Internet and WWW. The educational information is stored electronically; thus learners with access to the site can download or use the information as long as it is stored there. This makes it easy for learners to work at their own pace and to visit the site as frequently as they like. The Web can provide learning information in many different interesting formats. It can present information in sound bits, such as music, voice or special effects. Graphics may be also presented in a special type of artwork such as animation or video. In addition, Learners can also use another very convenient tool on the Internet: hypertext links. Hypertext links can take viewers to a thematically related piece of information within the same document or Web site, or to information found at another site (Porter 1997). Page 5 of 5