Advances in technology have had a profound effect on distance and online learning and have greatly expanded the types of tools available to instructors (Boettcher and Donaldson, 2010). The biggest advantages are that education is available to more students than ever before and the tools we have now will enable us to set up an online classroom with relevant course information, announcements and resources that are accessible to all times to every student. Technology opens up opens up opportunities for learning, earning degrees, certifications and career advancement training programs.

Asynchronous class sessions or meetings at online or virtual universities mean that more learners can access these programs; working adults, a single parent or a disabled student can be engaged in online learning on their own schedule. Moreover, there are financial benefits as learners do not have to incur expenses such as leaving their job or missing work , dependent or child care, transportation and parking expenses. Finally, learning with technology means that learners save time in traveling, taking a bus to campus or dropping off and picking up their children at daycare and this time can be devoted to learning.

I recall my own educational experiences while attending a traditional university and taking my child to childcare and picking them up every day. I would spend about 5 hours per week with these transitions and because it was a co-op campus day care, I worked 5 more hours. Just think, if I had attended online college, I could have saved 10 hours per week that could have been devoted to studies at night when my child was sleeping . I would have also had more time with my child during their formative years and I would have saved several thousand a year in childcare expenses.

I think we must keep in mind accessibility issues and diversity of our students as we set up learning environments and we can then provide options for access. For example, learners will be working from different times zones around the world, students may be traveling due to work or live in rural areas without high speed internet which will make it difficult to access high bandwidth multimedia resources. I believe we should post transcripts of all multimedia materials so all learners can access the contents of that video via a document. This will ensure access for hearing impaired learners or learners like myself that learn better with text based resources.

Accessibility issues are why I am more interested asynchronous learning environments so that autonomous learners can access in ways that are most convenient for them and at the time of day they can devote to learning (Boettcher and Donaldson, 2010). We must keep accessibility in mind when we use mobile technology as well; not all students will have access to smart phones, iPads, iPads or tablet due to the reception and coverage areas as well as cost of the devices and expense of service contracts. Mobile learning is a great tool, and it can enhance online learning, however, at the present time, it should not replace or substitute regular news, resources, postings and work in an online classroom. I canceled my smart phone plan a couple years ago due to the high costs of the data plan. I invested in Kindle Fire and can access it with wireless at my home or business and anywhere there is wifi; but I am not able to have anytime, anywhere access and that may be the case for many of our learners until we see the prices as well as reception improve.

I like the idea of using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to send important updates, pose questions and engage learners in dialogue outside of the classroom; these sites can be accessed with mobile devices and online for those students that are not using mobile technology ( Conrad, R., & Donaldson, 2010). Google Reader , Google Bookmarks and Google Docs are sites that save time, keep us organized and help facilitate collaboration. and I am most interested now in gaining access to the software that set up an online classroom, I need experience working with the CMS (content management system), the dashboard and to learn how to navigate in an efficient manner. I liked the Blackboard classroom that Walden University used until they made the switch over to the programs they are currently using. I would love to have the opportunity to use this program and set up a course for part of a final project in M.S. In Education degree program.

References

Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.