Distance learning is here to stay. How it grows and changes in the future lies in the hands of technology, the need for just-in-time learning, and passionate educators and designers who see inventions in technology as the new frontier.

The perceptions of distance learning will change per the advent of more user-friendly, learning technology. In addition, shifts in views from learners and educators about distance learning and the perceived barriers (Lloyd, Byrne, & McCoy, 2012), as well as the need for more timely and relevant education in a global workforce (Laureate Education, n.d.) will continue to influence distance learning popularity. As the instructor, learner, and designer perceptions change, so will the overall attitudes about the quality of distance learning.

The future of distance learning lies in the ability for the education field to alter the traditional models of education and ultimately transform how learning happens. Learning Management Systems (LMS) once purchased quickly become dinosaurs if the LMS companies don’t iterate fast enough. The current education system’s focus is on helping students memorize content and develop routine skills. Instead, as George Siemens illustrates, “distance education should help to hone the uniquely human traits that will help students thrive in an increasingly automated world (McNeal, 2016)”. The future of distance learning will be to invest in rigorous technology infrastructure and teach students modern day thinking and reasoning skills as part of every program.

In the future, schools will continue to get smarter in their understanding of each student and their unique paths to learning by utilizing their ability to analyze the data that is a gold mine within each LMS. Understanding the patterns of the distance learner and distance instructor will be key to rapidly adjusting the old, outdated models of teaching and learning.

As an instructional designer, it is essential to continue to design programs that meet the needs of the adult learner by creating an environment where their previous experience is not only acknowledged but incorporated into the design (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2005). Also, instructional designers should incorporate interactive exercises that include elements of discovery for the students that de-emphasizes the informative parts of learning and includes more engagement and exploration for the learners (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015). Finally, instructional designers of distance learning have an obligation to stay informed about technology advances. It is more necessary than ever before to remain current as technology is not only rapidly changing the workforce, but it will be rapidly changing distance learning as educators recognize they must adapt or die.

The students of the future will not be the same as the students of today. Technology is being invented today that will change learning for tomorrow. Adaptive learning will change the future of instructional design, and I believe it will be corporations who will be on the forefront of those changes if education doesn’t begin to adapt more rapidly. As George Siemens states, “Some variation of adaptive or personalized learning is rumored to “disrupt” education in the near future. Adaptive courseware providers have received extensive funding and this emerging marketplace has been referred to as the “holy grail” of education (July 2016). As a distance learner and instructional designer, I plan to continue to explore, investigate, and adapt to changes in technology and changes in learning. I plan to positively impact the field of distance learning by working to push the boundaries of what is possible both through technology advances and through classroom design experimentation.

References

Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). The future of distance education [Video file]. Retrievedfrom https://class.waldenu.edu

Lloyd, S. A., Byrne, M. M., & McCoy, T. S. (2012). Faculty-perceived barriers of online education. Merlot Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8(1). Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol8no1/lloyd_0312.pdf

McNeal, M. (2016, August 11). ‘Our technology is our ideology’: George Siemens on the future of digital learning. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-11-our-technology-is-our-ideology-george-siemens-on-the-future-of-digital-learning

Siemens, G. (2016, July 20). Adaptive learners, not adaptive learning. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2016/07/20/adaptive-learners-not-adaptive-learning/

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.