Overview

It used to be “Correspondence School”—they mailed you a book, you mailed back the test. Now it is Zoom University. Distance Learning breaks the link between where you are and what you learn. You can learn AI from Stanford while sitting in a village in Kenya.

Core Idea

The core idea is Access. Removing the barriers of geography and time.

Formal Definition

The education of students who may not always be physically present at a school. Synchronous: Live (Zoom). Asynchronous: Recorded (YouTube).

Intuition

  • The Lecture Hall: Limited seats. Expensive. You have to be there at 9:00 AM.
  • The Internet: Infinite seats. Cheap (or free). You can watch it at 2:00 AM in your pajamas.

Examples

  • MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses): Coursera, edX. Classes with 100,000 students.
  • Khan Academy: One guy in a closet teaching math to the world.
  • COVID-19: The Great Experiment. The whole world went to distance learning overnight. It showed us the potential (flexibility) and the limits (loneliness).

Common Misconceptions

  • It’s easier: It’s actually harder. You need more self-discipline. There is no teacher standing over you to make you do the work. Dropout rates are very high (90% for MOOCs).
  • Blended Learning: The best of both worlds. Watch the lecture online at home, come to class to do the homework and ask questions. (Flipped Classroom).
  • Digital Divide: Distance learning is great… if you have high-speed internet. If you don’t, you are left behind.

Applications

  • Corporate Training: Companies use it to train employees cheaply.
  • Lifelong Learning: Adults learning new skills after work.

Criticism / Limitations

  • Socialization: School is also about making friends and learning social skills. You can’t do that on Zoom.
  • Cheating: It’s much easier to cheat online.

Further Reading

  • Christensen, Clayton. Disrupting Class.