Module 10: Distance Education

Watching the videos for this weeks module allowed me to learn about distance education and how it is being used for students in grades K-12.  Distance education is a new concept for me. I am currently enrolled in two different online courses, so I have been able to see first-hand how this process works. Prior to this module, I thought more about distance education as being used in the college setting, not really thinking that it could also be used for elementary and secondary education. One thing that I learned from the videos was how Distance Education makes certain classes available to students, that may not be offered at their school. This allows students to take classes that may be more advanced. Distance Education also creates the opportunity for self-directed learning. By participating in online courses, students learn to take responsibility for their work and being sure that they are completing the required assignments. One thing that really surprised me was the fact that research shows that students who participate in Distance Education actually show better performance than students who learn in a traditional classroom. With such high success ratings, I can definitely see Distance Education becoming more prevalent when it comes to student education.