Facilitating Learning Is Necessary for Distance Education

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Introduction:

Distance learning or distance education is not a new concept. They are different definitions for distance education. All of them have one thing in common: facilitating learning.
Based on Nipper[] they are 3 generations of distance learning. Print technology is the first generation where the technology of printing press along with postal services is widely used for hundreds of years and known as correspondence learning.
In the second generation, broadcasting power of radio and television is playing an important role. Of course they are some bottlenecks in this way. For example the interaction between instructors and students remains minimal.
Computer and network communications are main elements of third generation. Rapid growth of computer networks and increasing the speed of communications among people especially in terms of internet and other digital technologies shows reduced response times to individual requests for information.
Typically, an activity can be considered as distance learning regarding the following features:
- There is physical length between the trainee and the instructor.
- The content of program is provided and managed by an organization.
- All requirements of system are well defined.
- Measuring of learning output for improving its performance.

Media is an important factor for teaching in distance learning.

They are some basic comprehensions that the instructors collaborating in distance learning should aware of them. This includes the knowledge of using new instructional and communication technologies.

Distance learning makes it possible to learn without attending in classrooms. In this way individuals have opportunity to learn without considering boundaries include geography, time and ...

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...ance learning courses are high;
• Generally, administrative services are more complex in contrast to live courses;

Some challenges in distance learning:
Administration – for example unique identification numbers for students, managing databases, tracking trainee’s participation.
Course design – using communication tools to share materials, work collaboratively among qualified instructors.
Development of materials – using multimedia along with sharing classic learning methods like e-books can increase the interactivity of materials.
Course delivery – Internet and other communication technologies are good way to distribute materials.
Student support – sending email, creating forums and online chat availability to address learner’s particular issues.
Assessment – online tests.
Evaluation – interactive communication tools like questionnaire and online feedback.

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