Categories: Theory & Rhetoric, Technology
Summary and Citations:
In 1986, Keegan published a descriptive definition of distance education. "He concluded that distance education is characterised by: the quasi-permanent separation of teacher and learner throughout the length of the learning process; this distinguishes it from conventional face-to-face education; the influence of an educational organisation both in the planning and preparation of learning materials and in the provision of student support services; this distinguishes it from private study and teach-yourself programmes; the use of technical media (print, audio, video, or computer) to unite teacher and learner and carry the content of the course; the provision of two-way communication so that the student may benefit from or even initiate dialogue; this distinguishes it from other uses of technology in education; the quasi-permanent absence of the learning group throughout the length of the learning process so that people are usually taught as individuals and not as groups, with the possibility of occasional meetings for both didactic and socialisation purposes (Keegan, 1986, p. 49)" (Garrison & Shale, 1987, pp. 7-8).
Garrison and Shale's analyzed Keegan's definition of distance education. They concluded that "Keegan's definition is too restrictive in its view that distance education is an industrialized form of learning. [That] his definition leads to a characterisation of distance education that is unnecessarily bounded by past practices" (Garrison & Shale, 1987, p. 12).
They argued that "there are three criteria essential for characterising the distance education process -- two of which are really corollaries of the first. Although the second and third logically follow from the first, they are necessary to clarify the distance education process. 1. Distance education implies that the majority of educational communication between (among) teacher and students occurs noncontigously [not touching or in contact with]. 2. Distance education must involve two-way communication between (among) teacher and student(s) for the purpose of facilitating and supporting the education process. 3. Distance education uses technology to mediate the necessary two-way communication" (Garrison & Shale, 1987, p. 11).
