DISTANCE LEARNING - THE NEW NORM....

[ShotoJuku]

The concept of Distance Learning (DL) is certainly not new.  From the advent of the first correspondence courses to what many of you currently have experienced in the pursuit of your degrees, DL has in the last several years become a more accepted practice and now appears to be on the doorstep of becoming the new norm.  Well at least a viable option for campus based education.

With the vast majority of universities and colleges closing their campus classroom doors due to the Covid-19 epidemic students are now required to complete these courses via a variety of DL models and options.  Reflecting over my own DL experiences I took a variety of classes not only from my own home but being delivered from several differing schools in many states around the country all in the pursuit of 4 academic degrees.

Some have scoffed at the concept of DL as not being "real" and a poor substitute for real learning.  Now that the shoe is on the other foot I suspect that the DL option will now garner a new appreciation and thus in the end an enhanced level of respect too.

When this whole Covid-19 thing is over and classrooms are opened once again throughout the country I don't expect them to remain empty however given the strains and pains many students, and teachers alike are currently experiencing but finding relief through DL options and perhaps become the new norm for many.