An Issue That Impacts Distance-Education Learning Research Paper

An Issue That Impacts Distance-Education Learning - Research Paper Example From the discussion it is clear that though the program objectives and purposes are the same, the main difference is that distance learning occurs via web-based technology. This technology connects both the student and the faculty members separated by time and space denying them face-to-face interaction, essential for development of effective teacher student supportive relationships. The lack of face-to-face contact requires the faculty members to develop many new roles to teach, guide, support and assess their students. They cannot be able to discern the body languages of their students over the web, which is crucial in teaching.This essay highlights that for successful distance nursing facilitation, instructors must learn and develop new social and technological skills to use over the net. They must be possessing flexibility, patience, and amiable persona essential in developing interactive communication and relationships with their students. They must also develop and improve thei r basic computer skills to understand the concepts of online web based technology, which requires considerable investment of time and resources for the faculty members to be comfortable with the technologies. Technologies used in distance learning include hybridized audio, video, printable and web based accessories, which maximize student learning experience and efficiency.  Ã‚  Instructors need to invest their time and resources to keep pace with new technologies.... They must also develop and improve their basic computer skills to understand the concepts of online web based technology, which requires considerable investment of time and resources for the faculty members to be comfortable with the technologies. Technologies used in distance learning include hybridized audio, video, printable and web based accessories, which maximize student learning experience and efficiency. Instructors need to invest their time and resources to keep pace with new technologies (Smith, Passmore, & Faught, 2009). Designing distance learning modules require the coordination of various specialists and experts and doing this is a considerable challenge for instructors who have different opinions and ideas. Keeping in touch with the wide number of students, who are at different locations and with different cultures, is also an extraordinarily difficult challenge for faculty members who may be forced to work under different time zones. They must be able to plan and deve lop multi site communications, which require continuous upgrading of hardware and policy to improve efficiency. Failure to do this would render the programs redundant because of lack of co-ordination. Increased use of web based technology for distance learning may infringe intellectual and copyrights of materials been transmitted over the net. The wide number of materials used by different instructors is sometimes impossible to employ without infringements, and they may expose these programs to lawsuits. There is an urgent need for clarification on most of the materials used. Online nursing programs are similar to other courses taught online (Smith, Heindel, & Torres-Ayala, 2008), but assessment becomes a problem. It is