I agree with the statements George Siemens stated in the video. George Siemens talked about how distance education has moved to a point where meaningful relationships are being made. The location of the learners within the class is not an issue anymore due to the online tools that are available. The learners within the learning community have become comfortable with the thought of distance education and the thought of communicating with people from other parts of the state/world. Distance education allows for great opportunities when communicating with others from around the world. The learners get to see things from a point they may not have ever had the opportunity to experience prior to distance education.
Global Diversity has become a prominent part of distance education. With so many universities offering online courses and so many learners taking advantage of this type of higher education, we are able to have a more diverse group within a class. Some learners that may live in a rural area may not have the same experiences as someone that lives in a urban area but with the tools that available and distance education being available, these two types of learners are able to be in the same class, sharing their experiences and learning from one another.
There are a variety of tools available to make global diversity a part of distance education. One tool is the fact that so many universities have courses set up through an online program that allows the learners to chat with one another, have discussions over specific topics and share general thoughts and information about themselves. Another great tool that is available are programs like Skype. This type of programs allowing people to chat, view one another live from their location, etc. The learners could actually have a conversation with one another and see one another while being in different parts of the world.
Siemens, G.. (n.d) "The Future of Distance Education" Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved September 20, 2010.http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4449103&Survey=1&47=6857070&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
I think it will be a definite asset to have such a diverse group of learners. All of us will benefit from so many point of views.You made some good points.
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