The Tech Edvocate

Top Menu

  • Advertisement
  • Apps
  • Home Page
  • Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
  • Home Page Four
  • Home Page Three
  • Home Page Two
  • Home Tech2
  • Icons [No Sidebar]
  • Left Sidbear Page
  • My Account
  • My Speaking Page
  • Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
  • Newsletter Unsubscription
  • Our Brands
  • Page Example
  • Protected Content
  • Register
  • Request a Product Review
  • Shop
  • Shortcodes Examples
  • Signup
  • Start Here
    • Governance
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • The Edvocate
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue

logo

The Tech Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • The Brain Science Behind Immersive Learning

  • How To Create An Immersive Learning Environment

  • Prepare Your IT Department for an AI Skills Gap

  • Emerging Technologies for Tracking COVID-19 in Higher Ed

  • Screencasting Adds Engagement to K—12 Classrooms

  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence

  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech

  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond

  • Generational Differences Affect Tech Initiatives In Higher Education

Online Learning & eLearning
Home›Online Learning & eLearning›How Can You Take the Distance Out of Distance Learning?

How Can You Take the Distance Out of Distance Learning?

By Matthew Lynch
February 6, 2018
Spread the love

Distance learning has provided thousands of students the chance to increase their knowledge on a chosen subject in an accessible and flexible way. During the fall semester of 2014; 5,750,417 students in the U.S. were enrolled in a postsecondary distance learning course. It is clear that distance learning creates opportunities for young adults and professionals that previously weren’t available. However, while students often praise the flexibility of distance learning, they also comment on the isolation that distance learning students can experience.

The development of edtech has created new means of communication that can help to bridge the gap between distance learners. Communication technologies that are now often used in the workplace can also be implemented into a distance learning course to offer more and more ways for students and teachers to communicate in real-time. Though educators about to embark on a distance learning course may feel unsure as to how they can create a sense of community for their students, there are steps and considerations that can be taken to help close the distance in distance learning.

First Impressions

As with all learning communities, it’s important to make a good first impression with your students or fellow classmates. In a physical classroom, teachers can implement ice breaker activities or introductions to make students feel more at ease. Teachers beginning a new distance learning course can achieve this by creating a multimedia introduction for their students. This allows students to get to know their instructor and will can them feel more comfortable in contacting the instructor should they need support. Students can also be asked to provide personal introductions for the class. This eliminates any feeling of communicating with anonymous online users. The ways in which teachers can achieve this are numerous though the technology needed is very basic: a smartphone or webcam and perhaps a video editing program. Ask students to get creative and see what they come up with.

Social Media

The problem with using traditional emails to keep your students up-to-date is that many people neglect or overlook emails in their inbox. On the other hand, 1.15 billion people log onto Facebook mobile daily. Social media tools like Facebook are a familiar form of communication for students that can be used for quick troubleshooting questions, general announcements or mutual support. Creating a page or group chat for a course is quick, easy and effective.

Google Apps

Many edtech savvy classrooms now use Google apps as the basis of their communication and collaboration in the classroom. However G Suite for education can perhaps be used to an even greater advantage with distance learning courses. Providing a communal learning space, albeit virtual, Google Suite includes apps such as Classroom, Drive and Docs. Google Classroom supports lesson planning, assignments, feedback and progress tracking all in one place. Docs allows collaborative editing of documents in real-time that can help to create a sense of teamwork between distance learners. Hangouts means face-to-face interaction and Vault allows efficient archiving of old material for all learners to go back and look at anytime. G Suite provides a complete classroom management system that can be accessed by all parties anytime, anywhere.

Focus on Feedback

Classroom feedback is a key tool for teachers who are looking to review course content and the progress of the course participants. While getting quick feedback from students can be done easily and efficiently in a physical classroom, it often proves difficult in a virtual one. Whether students feel uncomfortable speaking up about a problem they’re having or teachers neglect to create a time and place for student feedback, lack of opinion can cause issues with the flow of communication. Distance learners are much more likely to disengage if they feel unsatisfied. Online polling tools such as PollEverywhere allows teachers to create opportunities for instant feedback in a variety of formats. Ask a question, students reply in real-time using smartphones social media or the internet and responses can then be tracked instantly on the web either anonymously or not.

While distance learning is often a worrying concept for sociable students and teachers alike, there really are a plethora of tools at your disposal. Closing the distance in distance learning has never been so easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Spread the love
TagsEdtechedtechchatelearningSTEAMSTEM
Previous Article

13 of the Best Apps for High ...

Next Article

19 of the Best Science Apps for ...

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Uncategorized

    9 Ways to Tell If a New App Is Ready For Classroom Use

    December 30, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech NewsHigher Education EdTech

    U.S. schools have more computers than ever. But what are they doing with all that (expensive) technology?

    July 1, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Uncategorized

    11 Edtech Tools That Make Formative Assessment a Breeze

    June 19, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Campus SecurityEdTech & Innovation

    3 Ways That Technology Can Boost Campus Security

    July 2, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTechPersonalized Learning

    What Are the Benefits of Learning Analytics?

    August 27, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    Creating the Tech Leaders of Tomorrow: How to Inspire Your Students to Lead in the Digital Age

    June 7, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Early ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    Why It’s Wrong for Pediatricians to Eliminate Daily Screen Time Recommendations

  • Microlearning

    The Essentials of Microlearning Design

  • Uncategorized

    What Do I Need For My Makerspace?

Search

Login & Registration

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • The Brain Science Behind Immersive Learning

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 5, 2021
  • How To Create An Immersive Learning Environment

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2021
  • Prepare Your IT Department for an AI Skills Gap

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 3, 2021
  • Emerging Technologies for Tracking COVID-19 in Higher Ed

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 2, 2021
  • Screencasting Adds Engagement to K—12 Classrooms

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 1, 2021
  • 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 11, 2017
  • 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2017
  • Why Mobile Technology Enhances Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 14, 2016
  • What is the Future of Online Learning in Higher Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 2, 2018
  • 7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 5, 2018
  • How To Create An Immersive Learning Environment - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    March 4, 2021

    3 Reasons Why AI Could Be Your New Teaching Sidekick

    […] Artificial Intelligence (AI) ...
  • Item Analysis and Other Exam Design Principles - The Edvocate
    on
    March 3, 2021

    Designing with Open Educational Resources (OER)

    […] and areas for ...
  • Prepare Your IT Department for an AI Skills Gap - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    March 3, 2021

    The 4 Types of Artificial Intelligence: What Educators Should Know

    […] universities and colleges ...
  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 26, 2021

    China Is Teaching Children about AI in Kindergarten. Should the US Be Worried?

    […] possibilities which is ...
  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 26, 2021

    The Significance of Technology in Your School

    […] Dictionary defines “Innovative” ...

EdTech Policy & Reform

  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    How Much Bias Is Okay in Your School?

    Spread the loveThe algorithm has proven itself to be a handy tool when it comes to solving education problems. It’s also not without bias.  You may be wondering how some ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    Edtech Should Complement Good Pedagogy, Not Attempt to Replace It

    Spread the loveThe newest generation of edtech is downright amazing; it’s no wonder that various education stakeholders might be a little excited about its potential to transform education. However, edtech ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

    Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to ...
  • EdTech FuturesEdTech Policy & Reform

    3 Reasons Why India Will Be A Leader in the EdTech Industry in the 21st ...

    Spread the loveAccording to a joint report by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How Does Technology Immersion Shape the Brain?

    Spread the loveDo you wonder what all of the screen time we have is really doing to our brains? As edtech continues to rise in prominence throughout the world, this ...

EdTech Startups & Businesses

  • EdTech Startups & BusinessesOnline Learning & eLearning

    Using Nudge Theory in Your Corporate Online Learning Classes

    Spread the loveAfter reading this headline, you may be asking yourself, what is nudge theory? Nudge theory centers on positive reinforcement and inferred suggestions to motivate a person to complete ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Bringing Education into the Business World

    Spread the loveU.S. businesses spent nearly $20 billion on training in 2019. That number decreased by roughly half from the year before. Companies aren’t providing fewer professional development opportunities for ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    You Must Include These 3 Things in Your Edtech Business Plan

    Spread the loveDo you have a business plan? It’s the one question you’re going to be asked a lot as you begin your edtech business. The reasons to write a ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Edtech Marketing Ideas to Implement Right Now

    Spread the loveEven if you do have the most exceptional edtech product or service in the world, you’ve still got to market it. Your sales and your success depend on ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    How Your Edtech Startup Can Make the Leap from Failure to Funded

    Spread the loveThe best ideas in edtech are often only ideas. They never become a reality because they lack the funding they need to get off the ground. Taking an ...

Digital Equity

  • Digital EquityDigital Leadership

    How Can You Assess the Tech Needs of Your Students Outside of School?

    Spread the loveToday, I received an email from the middle school principal in Los Angeles. She explained to me that the school that she ran was in one of the ...
  • Digital Equity

    It Is Time for the Edtech Industry to Stop Denying Its Equity and Race Problem

    Spread the loveThe EdTech industry is dominated by white employees, white leaders, and white entrepreneurs. If you doubt this statement, just attend an Edtech conference. Admittedly, educators and others don’t ...
  • Digital Equity

    How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

    Spread the loveThe cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. ...

EdTech Futures

  • EdTech FuturesOnline Learning & eLearning

    IT Trends To Watch As Higher Education Moves Into a New Decade

    Spread the loveEdtech couldn’t have hoped for a better launch into the new decade than the push the industry received from COVID-19. Even the most tech-resistant institutions and individuals have ...
  • EdTech Futures

    4 Emerging EdTech Trends in 2021

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has not only changed education as we know it, but it has forced education technology (EdTech) to up its game. EdTech has been crucial since the start of this ...
  • Adult EducationEdTech & InnovationEdTech FuturesEducation LeadershipEducational LeadershipHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechThe Future of Education

    Education Technology and the Future of Higher Ed Leadership

    Spread the loveEducation Technology (EdTech) has had a more significant impact on education than anyone expected. Now its effects are reaching into the field of higher education. In this article, ...
  • EdTech Futures

    Top Edtech Trends for 2021

    Spread the loveAre you ready to look ahead? Schools will soon be reflecting on what’s been working this year and what’s not. They’ll also begin thinking about their budgets for ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Futures

    In the Wake of Teacher Shortages, Schools are Turning to Virtual Teachers

    Spread the loveTeaching was once a greatly respected position, and today, morally it still seems to be of high value to many Americans. Institutionally, however, teaching no longer seems to ...

About Us

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

We started this journey back in June 2016, and we plan to continue it for many more years to come. I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact Us

The Tech Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright © 2021 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.