Module 3 Table of Contents
Interaction is an important component of any learning experience. Successful distance education programs mix instructional technologies and strategies to help learners interact with the instructional content, the instructor, and each other. As you select the technologies that will support your distance education programs, you must provide support for four types of interaction:
- learner-instructor
- learner-learner
- learner-content
- instructor-content
We will discuss these four types of interaction in depth in Modul4 4, but it’s important to think about them now as we discuss the time-place matrix.
Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Interaction
In traditional classrooms, learners and instructors interact synchronously; interaction is in real time: you talk, I immediately respond. In distance education, however, learners and instructors can interact asynchronously; interactions between them are delayed. A good example of asynchronous interaction is email: you email me this morning, I respond this afternoon.
An important characteristic of distance education is that it supports both synchronous and asynchronous interaction. For example, video-based instruction may be synchronous, as when participants in an interactive videoconference use cameras and microphones at their respective sites to interact with the originating site and each other. But some video-based instruction may be asynchronous, as when instruction is videotaped and learners later view the video or listen to the audio; interaction is accomplished at another time by either written/electronic correspondence or telephone. Similarly, computer-based instruction may be synchronous, as when computer conferences are held at pre-established times via chat technologies, or it may be asynchronous, as when learners retrieve instructional materials via the Internet and act on them at their convenience.
When deciding which technologies/strategies will best help learners achieve your instructional outcomes, you should consider the time-place matrix illustrated below.
FIGURE 3.1. THE TIME-PLACE MATRIX
| Same place | Different place | |
| Same time | Local synchronous learning | Distance synchronous learning |
| Different time | Local asynchronous learning | Distance asynchronous learning |
As figure 3.1 shows, the time-place matrix combines these two variables into four learning options
Same Time–Same Place (Local Synchronous Learning)
Valuable lessons about distance education can be learned from traditional classroom instructors, who have used technologies for years. For example, traditional classroom instructors often use audiovisual materials to illustrate concepts; these same kinds of materials can be incorporated into distance education programs. Traditional classroom discussion techniques can be applied to technology-mediated discussions. The kinds of support learners receive by interacting with traditional classroom instructors can inform the design of support systems for remote learners.
Same Time–Different Place (Distance Synchronous Learning)
Electronic classrooms that meet in real time provide the closest match to traditional classrooms and often employ many of the same instructional strategies. Satellite teleconferencing using televisions with a satellite link, videoconferencing, and real-time Internet sessions are examples of the technologies used to deliver same time–different place instruction. Learners might be located at various places such as a branch of a university, home, or hotel, but they must come together at a designated time to participate in learning. Although sites are often determined by learners’ access to appropriate technologies, sites are usually defined by instructional strategy. For example, a distance education program might include group activities that require a minimum number of participants or that require facilitators or content experts to provide real-time feedback. Additionally, residencies for a certain number of weeks are a blended alternative to traditional face-to-face learning. Blended learning is a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning formats.
Different Time–Same Place (Local Asynchronous Learning)
Technology-based resources that are available only at designated locations are sometimes made available to learners at flexible times. Much of today’s electronic instructional material software—including electronic journals, bibliographic catalogs, and electronic full-text collections—has license restrictions concerning its distribution: learners must access the software either at designated locations or remotely via specific closed networks. However, flexible access in terms of when learners can interact with the software creates opportunities for shared resources and self-paced learning.
Different Time–Different Place (Distance Asynchronous Learning)
This most flexible time-place variable is exemplified by the long tradition of correspondence study, where learners access instruction and, through self-paced learning, achieve instructional outcomes. An electronic version of correspondence study provides the same flexible access to instruction. Because self-paced learning requires learners to be self-disciplined, your organization might establish support systems that encourage learners to achieve a program’s instructional outcomes.
Programs that are fixed within a set time frame can also fall into the different time–different place category. For example, a program might include activities that learners complete within a set time period (e.g., 2 weeks); at the end of the time period, learners must move on to a new set of activities. This approach has several advantages:
- Because learners work on the same instructional activities, although at different places and times, programs can include activities that encourage learner-learner interaction.
- Learners can schedule instructional activities around other responsibilities such as work and family.
- Deadlines for completing instructional activities help learners maintain a discipline for study.
Interaction-related Technology Considerations
Technology can help your organization achieve its instructional outcomes in many different ways. Technical considerations might not always be obvious from the outset, but they will affect your technology options. Suppose, for example, you want to deliver video-based instruction yet allow for learners’ immediate responses. Your technical considerations would include the following questions:
- If you have remote classrooms, are they equipped to transmit learners’ responses to the originating site?
- If learners are interacting from a personal computer at their home or office, do they have the hardware and software required?
Or suppose you want to deliver computer-based instruction:
- Do learners have access to computers that can handle audio, video, or other file-size requirements such as large Word or Adobe pdf files?
- Do learners have access to a common network?
- How will learners access instructional activities and the resources they will need to complete the activities?
- When learners have problems with the technologies, where will they go for help?
You can use various technologies to deliver instruction. The current three major distance education technologies are
- computer technology
- video technology
- audio technology
Each of these technologies may be used as the sole means of instructional delivery, but a combination of technologies usually results in more effective instruction. The remainder of this Module outlines each technology’s characteristics and applications. It also suggests instructional strategies that might be used with each technology. The following sections will provide a brief overview of these technologies but you are strongly encouraged to read the US Distance Learning Association's Instructional Media Selection Guide as well.
THINKING POINT
A Short Note on Print Education. Print education in America has its roots as far back as colonial times with the arrival of the first printing presses. As America grew, print education grew to encompass the first correspondence schools (our first ties to distance education). Although this guide focuses on technology in distance education, much of what is used today in distance education comes from traditional print sources such as books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. Many distance education programs also use publishing-on-demand, printable ebooks, and documents placed into Word or Adobe pdf format.
