Reflection+2

** Answers to the reflection questions posted in module two for the  ** ** 1009OMDE6019041 class. **   1. Return to the final concluding remarks from Otto Peters in Module 2. Reflect on and respond to the question that Otto poses: Have you profited in Module 2? And if so, how and in what ways? Review the statements that Otto has listed. Consider which statements apply and how they apply.  On the conclusion given by professor Otto Peters he mentioned that by now we should be very conscious that distance education have a specific pedagogical structure and it is not just transferring face-to –face programs. This for me is very important to understand because the needs of the distance education student are very different and it’s important to realize that the approach should be focused to the specific needs and goals of distance education.  Also the importance of participation in distance education was discussed with the professor together with the autonomy of the learner. For me this is my first semester in distance education and sometimes I would like to have the chance to participate more but written communication is not my forte. I’m trying to improve my written communication skills and I’m trying to participate even more. For me this was meaningful because it has taken time for me to adapt to the system and to get used to a new way of learning. As a student and a future designer and/ or online instructor is a challenge and a learning experience at the same time.  From this part of the reflection I chose to explain this objective from the module.  If I were to explain this information to someone else I would say that distance education has a long history and didn’t start with the use of computers and internet as most people think. Distance education has evolved with the inventions through human history such as, postal mail, radio, television and now computers and internet. Now in this technological era we are living distance education confronts great challenges, one to keep up with new equipment and ways of presenting information and using those that have been used for a longer time such as printed text. Distance education with the use of computers has faced a transition face where the students are the main characters of the learning process. The presentation of the courses needs the exact dose of asynchronous and synchronous communication. The teacher is a guide that helps the students to create a comfortable learning environment and promotes collaborative learning. All the participants are distant from each other but those who organize a course have to keep in mind that distance education in some cases is more humanistic than other forms of education. The constant dialogue done through the different types of technology is a situation that brings more challenges to all participants but helps the students to be more autonomous.  I believe that all objectives were met. I enjoyed the discussion with Professor Peters, this activity made aware of how broad distance education is, the evolution that has taken place and that we are living on a turning point for distance education. We are living in a time when people are benefiting from the different types of distance education all around the world, and how this progress influences one of the pillars of education which is lifelong learning.
 *  Explain the deep-rooted changes of the pedagogical structure of DE caused by increasing digitization