Three Interesting Facts-Kohler

There were a lot of new perspectives that I had not considered before reading this article. One of which is how broad of an audience is met with "Distance Education". I would think of learners as people who are just sitting in front of a computer screen. I forgot to include people who could be sitting in front of a television screen. I never considered shows like Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood to be "distance education". I, like many others, grew up watching those shows in lieu of going to preschool. I learned how to recognize letters, colors, numbers and to practice good social skills.

I learned that radio offered one of the first available avenues for distance learning. Some of the disadvantages that were listed regarding learning via the radio also exist with distance learning through the computer. A couple of these disadvantages would be lack of eye contact and one-way communication. My first "online" class was through USD and "Online Learning". We never met simultaneously. We just followed the syllabus and took quizzes on scheduled times. The classes I am taking now have improved dramatically. I like it when an instructor has live video feed and allows for verbal discussion, not just text.

The final interesting fact is the literal meanings of the words "online" and "wireless". I never thought as cable television to be "online" learning and for a computer utilizing wi-fi to just be "wireless" and not "online". It's just interesting to see how learning keeps alternating between the two platforms.