Best Practices for Distance
Learning

FLEXIBILITY

    Distance education classes must have specific goals set forth in the course, but should be flexible in the way standards are met. Students should have the opportunity to complete assignments and activities which relate to their "immediate needs" (Simonson et

al, 2009). Many students in distance education courses are adults who are taking classes with a specific reason in mind. Therefore,

 all assignments should allow for individualization and customization based on the needs of the learner. Allowing students a choice in

the assignment also meets the needs of various types of learning styles and actually requires learners to take on greater

responsibility for their own progress toward the instructional goal.

    Distance education classes should build on what the students already know. Their thoughts and ideas can be shared in an online environment and much of the learning can come from fellow classmates. The teacher must be flexible and allow for the students in

the class to work together to meet the goals and standards for the course, but must set clear expectations for what standards will

be met. Since many students in distance education courses are working adults and have many commitments in their lives, the

instructor must be flexible when it comes to timelines and deadlines. There should be clear expectations and time allotted so

students can be successful in completing tasks on time. Students may be asked to complete the work for the course over a period of time with a few deadlines, or milestones, on a particular project (i.e. outlines, rough draft, and final paper). This allows the student to work at their own pace, but to stay on track and be successful in the course. Any great teacher knows that they must adjust their classes based on the needs of the students in it. When they work to provide students with the best learning opportunities, their students will benefit and learn the most.

RIGOR

    Rigor is an area of concern among institutions for distance education courses (Simonson et al, 2009). It has been argued that distance education courses do not have the same high quality standard as a counterpart on-campus class would. Students interviewed about their online distance courses described their learning to be more challenging. The thought is that instructors were overcompensating by making the classes more complicated and by requiring more work. Students also said they were very satisfied with their online learning.   

    Instructors and students should work with a set of high academic standards and expectations in every course. The level of respect and professionalism should be clear from the beginning for all interactions with each other and with the work produced in the course. The increase in rigor should mean that there are more opportunities for students as they progress in the learning, not more work or homework assignments. With these guidelines in place, instructors and students can expect to participate in a rigorous and thought-provoking course which will allow them to meet the goals set out in their own professional lives.