TheStaffRoom

The Art and Science of Distance Learning   Before restarting my educational journey of pursuing higher education, I defined distance learning as synchronously receiving instruction through online courses. I am a lifelong learner; therefore, I gain new knowledge daily through in-person peer interactions, online finds, and printed texts. Not too long ago in my country,  distance learning would have entailed a learner signing up for distance courses provided by an international institution solely through our local college. A learner would then meet at the local college during scheduled days and times with other learners to receive the instruction either in a computer lab monitored by the local college facilitator or in a classroom designated to conduct a speaker phone call with the professor using a specific telephone number and access code to reach them. My, how times have changed drastically since then. Marzano (2001) believes teachers who set goals and check for understanding ...