1. Distance Education Overcoming the Fears & Frustrations of Learners @ a Distance

2. Common Goals Increase the learner’s comfort level Increase the learner’s comfort level Enhance communication Enhance communication Enhance interaction Enhance interaction Enhance the learning process Enhance the learning process

3. To Increase Comfort Use “Ice Breakers” Use “Ice Breakers” Consider: Instructorless Learning Consider: Instructorless Learning Form Teams Form Teams Create Opportunities for direct contact: Create Opportunities for direct contact: –Guest speakers at remote sites –Instructor visits

4. Increasing Comfort Provide help with tech. problems Provide help with tech. problems –24-hour help lines –Websites with “FAQs” –Office hours

5. Increasing Comfort Consider “Challenged Learners” Consider “Challenged Learners” –Be sensitive –Meet needs –Think about Learning styles –Does overcompensate!

6. Comm. & Interaction Be aware of diverse perspectives Be aware of diverse perspectives Encourage sharing & interaction Encourage sharing & interaction Consider the following techniques Consider the following techniques

7. Techniques Reward or require electronic participation Reward or require electronic participation Provide for informal sharing Provide for informal sharing –Collaborative software –Chat room –Listserv

8. Techniques Promote collaboration both in pairs & groups across sites Promote collaboration both in pairs & groups across sites During class create opportunities for learners to: During class create opportunities for learners to: –Exchange infor –Have interactions

9. Techniques Prepare & distribute ahead of time to ensure learner contributions Prepare & distribute ahead of time to ensure learner contributions –Agendas –Discussion questions

10. Techniques Listserv & email for active discussion create responses that are: Listserv & email for active discussion create responses that are: –“More direct” than in face-to-face situations –More “reflective” –More organized

11. Enhancing learning Recognize different learning styles Recognize different learning styles –Reflective –Conceptual –Practical –Creative

12. Enhancing learning Apply techniques appropriate to your objectives Apply techniques appropriate to your objectives –Discussion/lecture to impart verbal information –Case scenarios for problem-solving Always provide timely feedback Always provide timely feedback Offer choices to motivate Offer choices to motivate Access to material Access to material Variety of delivery methods Variety of delivery methods

13. Dist. Ed. - The Key Planning Planning –Critical element over arching all of these techniques