Definition+of+Distance+Education

Preliminary reflections
Since there are so many aspects to be taken into account when defining DE I opt for those which are quite general but still covering the essential points. I first liked the definition offered by Moore & Kearsley (2005), describing DE as a “planned learning that normally occurs in a different place from teaching, requiring special course design and instruction techniques, communication through various technologies, and special organizational and administrative arrangements”. The most important point in this definition is for me the stress on spatial separation of learning and teaching (or let’s better say of “student and teacher” since even in traditional ways of education learning does not always take place in the teacher’s presence). I also prefer the expressions “instruction techniques” and “technologies” to Holmberg’s (2005) expression “media”. Not only that a teacher in a classroom can also use different kinds of media, but teachers ARE media. However, in a personal definition I would not integrate the aspect of “planned learning” (in opposition to “accidental” learning). I do not see this as a special characteristic of DE but of education in general. As a native German speaker I do not feel very comfortable when I see the word “education” referred to as just “teaching and learning” because I understand it as much more than that. This must be the influence of the Humboldtian ideal of education. So I try now my own definition:

First definition of Distance Education
Distance education is a form of education which is characterized by a spatial separation of student and teacher and therefore needs a variety of technologies to overcome this separation and to design special courses. The character and design of these courses are subject to technological development in the respective society.

References: Holmberg, B. (2005). //The evolution, principles and practices of distance education//. Oldenburg, Germany: BIS-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg. Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2005). //Distance education: A systems view// (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

**Changes in my definition after Module 2**
After having learned about Moores theory of //transactional distance//, I have to add a new important aspect to my first definition of DE where I only mention the spatial seperation of student and teacher as a principal characteristic. Moore speaks of a "gap of understanding and communication" (Moore & Kearsley, 2005, p. 223).   This idea of a "mental distance" (Peters, 2001, p. 28) has contributed to my understanding of DE decisively. It describes another important meaning of "distance" and at the same time the consequence of the physical distance which results also in a mental distance. At the same time the theory of //transactional distance// represents an important tool to describe the fundamental difference between DE and face-to-face education. Distance education is a form of education which is characterized by a spatial and mental separation of student and teacher and therefore needs a variety of technologies and pedagogical means to overcome this separation and to design special courses. The character and design of these courses are subject to technological development in the respective society.

References: Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2005). //Distance education: A systems view// (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Peters, O. (2001). //Learning and teaching in distance education - Analyses and interpretations from an international perspective//. London: Kogan Page.