Online Education

The role of distance education in Puerto Rico must be one which promotes proactive integration with Student – student and Teacher with students in a completely professional.

Online education in Puerto Rico is a trend that surrounds us every day more, for this reason is useful and necessary, as teachers have an open university clarify some concepts that guide the work of teachers. This paper presents some ideas which aim to place the teacher in the context of a distance education model and understand what their role and responsibility in student learning and success of an educational program.

Elements of the process of distance education
 
Distance education models are based on three elements:
a. educational materials
b. advice or guidance of a teacher or specialist in the field
c. evaluation as a means of accreditation.

These elements are complemented by administrative infrastructure, management systems, university centers, information sources, among others, which are integrated into a teaching model as a complete and complex system of relationships designed to fulfill one goal: to educate. The actors in this process are the teachers, students and the institution sponsoring the program, we have an educational process comprising the universe of relationships that may arise between the actors and model components.

The teacher is responsible for conducting the process, tracing the lines of learning that must follow the student and provide necessary educational resources, their work is reflected through the development of materials and advice, their participation is vital because of its correct performance depends on the success of the program, either in terms of assimilation of content, as attrition rates, student satisfaction and approval.

The student is the center of the educational model, it is routed to all actions and efforts of teachers and the institution. At a distance model is necessary to be clear that the student is the protagonist of his own background, is he who, through effort and perseverance in reaching goals that will mean their whole degree. The formative nature of self-care educational materials, implicitly, the work of the student learning is largely autonomous and self-regulating. It is autonomous because it is he who develops the various activities, assignments and readings for each section which includes the subject, is self-regulated, because it is he who marks his own pace according to their possibilities of time, distributing the workload over time in order to complete the total of activities within the prescribed deadlines.

The institution, for its part, is responsible for the academic support, legal and infrastructure of educational programs that are offered. The institutional obligations can be grouped into two. The first group refers to all those logistical, organizational, technological, together constitute the necessary platform for the educational process to develop properly, the second group consists of academic and legal aspects, which give the rigor, quality and validity to the program.

The harmonization of the elements and actors of the educational model is a complex task. On each of these elements and actors is affected by numerous factors that can cause imbalances when operating together. The operational details, academics and methodology are of great importance and significance to the success of a program. Hence, the need for clearly defined roles and responsibilities of the actors and especially that they know the model and the role that he met others involved in the process. Integrating the work of actors, facilities and resources that present model elements achieve an integrated and interrelated whole affected by a set of interdependent variables whose impact is crucial to the performance of other system components.

Educational models and distance
They are a complex set of processes aimed at achieving a more meaningful learning in students. It consists of a set of subsystems with specific functions that involve interrelated and interdependent variables. From an overall perspective, the educational model can focus their attention on the teacher or the student, in the first case, the educational models focusing on the teacher are used by educational institutions, training providers face in the second case, the educational model focusing on the student, are used by institutions offering distance learning.

The traditional educational models are characterized by face focus development in the teaching process, relegating the student to be an observer and listener in most cases. Such models weigh a lot more learning and teaching that its applicability is limited to face environment. The teacher plays a leading role in combining the use of some resources, mainly the board and his voice through these, achieves what is commonly known as “transfer of knowledge” rather than actual learning, the result being a low level assimilation and resulting in “a temporary knowledge which tends to forget easily. The student, meanwhile, is a recipient of the transmission performed by the teacher, their learning is limited in many cases, what is memorable as a result of “listening and observing.”

Distance education models, by their nature, lack of a teacher to guide the process in person, so they are forced to separate the leading role of the teacher and the student pass, he does through an appropriate methodology and means to a dialogue didactic, strengthens their own learning and development. Learning is based on the work, whether through reading, learning activities, group work, formative assessment, and so on. This work has the advantage of learning activities raise the level of assimilation of the content, as it learns and assimilates what we do better than those who simply hear and see. A student-centered model is conducive to self-learning and the transmission of values, their different components orient their efforts to facilitate student learning, providing it with resources, complemented with previously scheduled activities, adequate monitoring and support of the teacher can achieve a more effective and meaningful learning.

Educational models and new technologies
It is important to understand that there is a difference between distance and attendance system supported by technology, areas in which each applies are different, and therefore the effects on the educational community are also different. Additionally it is necessary to be clear that the technological aspect is an element that is subject to the requirements and institutional needs and in no case has a defining character lines on policy or institutional action. In this sense we can say that technology is only half the work easier and opens up possibilities in many cases, but is not a straitjacket that determines the educational work.

The technologies have evolved educational models regardless of their approach, have affected both models to-face training as a model for distance learning. In regard to the latter, the change has occurred in its three basic elements.

Teaching Evolution
The way of teaching is the one that has been affected, the teacher’s role has changed, now having to contemplate additional functions that require primarily skills and motivation, the teacher’s activities have diversified and new general conception of the role has acquired can be summarized with the word “manager” of learning. This new task must be tempered with qualities and skills that together allow for adequate performance and help guide the learning of a group of people. Mentoring made by the teacher to address those concerns that may arise in the student learning during development, has become more flexible. The use of tools such as email, discussion forums and virtual discussion spaces have fostered a new concept of “group learning” which uses the knowledge distributed in each of the students and faculty to create new knowledge based on reading, reflecting, through exchange of views argued.

The main advantage of the use of these tools (discussion forums and virtual) is on the asynchrony, the participants of a forum or debate can log their views at any time within a given period, but generally large (one or two weeks) and the recipients have access to each share and may respond as they saw. In the case of email, the application eliminates the problems of saturation of the teacher with phone calls and gives you more freedom and time to prepare more elaborate responses and aid, while able to respond within a reasonable time to all students of queries.

The student role has also been affected, consider that the distance student is an entity with assets and facilities of communication technologies that have the potential isolation of the victim was, and no longer can assert virtual spaces to interact and build their own knowledge as a product of discussion and exchange with peers and teachers in managing group learning.

Institutions should consider the possibilities that technology opens up the teaching and preparing teachers to meet the challenge of combining technology and learning opportunities aimed at enhancing student learning which the target of ongoing efforts is.

Evolution of materials
There is a misconception that the use of technology for learning, means less burden from the student activities. The reality is that this distance is hard work and is based on activities and reading content. Printed materials, though it seems hard to believe, not out of fashion, even the most important universities in the world have this medium as a basic element of their educational models. It is very common that students receive textbooks, teaching guides including printed and virtual universities using the same scientific articles that are not physically sent when they are downloaded from the Internet by students, who are responsible for printing. Digital educational materials such as electronic books, multimedia applications, among others, are considered elements of support, very useful but not essential in a distance learning process supported by technology. Such materials have a scope within the context of a course or subject, should be framed to cover those aspects in which the benefits of the implementation is practical and effective.

The technologies have enabled educational materials are acquiring new shapes and presentations, interactivity can be achieved with multimedia applications, the portability of eBooks, audio and video are elements that have great advantages for a more meaningful learning . The use of these advantages lies in its strength within the content, but mostly right mix experience ensures a better outcome in the satisfaction and level of assimilation of the student.

Evolution of the evaluation
The evaluation of distance education is taken in two ways:
a. the first one as a learning strategy
b. the second a means of accreditation of knowledge.

In any case, the technology applied to personalize the site evaluation process and meet the student’s skills. Are used interactive self-assessments, which argued, immediate feedback is very important and useful for the student to know the level reached the correct time and know the areas in which content must focus more. The online evaluations are common for certain types of programs, they will have a period of time to answer a questionnaire with questions selected randomly and be objective, but not the referent of the knowledge gained by the student. Despite the technological development achieved can not be certain that the person doing the online assessment is who should be, for that reason the online assessment is applied as a learning strategy that leads the student to apply what learned and yet to know what their weaknesses.

Conclusion
It must be clear to teachers as an educational institution at university level should be open-minded considering that the model applies is student-centered and therefore the task of teaching to be a comprehensive guide, motivator and facilitator, and is limited in his starring role in the process and must consider the student as a receiver of knowledge. Being one of the elements of a distance education model involves a willingness to coordinate teacher training and resources and consider the student not as an isolated issue but as a central part of the proactive education community.

The distance learning student is based on what they can develop and build through learning activities, lectures, development of self-assessments, group work and with the help of the teacher and distributed through its teaching materials, advice and feedback. The combination of these efforts is reflected in the acquisition of skills, abilities and knowledge development.

When I was a business school student, veterans of the U.S. nuclear submarine fleet surrounded me. These men were mature beyond their years and happy to be verbally jousting in the relatively unconfined, sunny arena of a graduate-school classroom. The submariners did well as students, and employers eagerly competed to hire them.

Why would such naval service be a good background for a business career? One classmate explained it this way, “If you can perform well with other men in a confined area under dangerous conditions for months at a time, you can easily meet any challenge that a business will throw at you.”

If every submariner had learned that lesson, the American missile fleet would soon be decimated by seamen headed for business schools and new careers with higher income potential.

Over the years since then, I’ve wondered about other business career benefits that might flow from the naval experiences of those who didn’t serve on submarines. For instance, one of my college roommates became a shipboard supply officer in the U.S. Navy and attended business school after his enlistment was up. He now heads a successful company he founded that makes custom rubber components for original equipment manufacturers. In addition, one of my favorite bosses was a retired naval officer.

In 2005, those conjectures steered me in a new direction after I had the pleasure of being an online advisor to an outstanding officer in the Hellenic (Greek) Navy, Commander Papantoniou, who was studying for an MBA degree in Strategic Management. From his first assignment, I knew that Commander Papantoniou was an extraordinary business student.

While many new graduate students seek to do the least and gain the highest grade, Commander Papantoniou wanted to learn the most and was prepared to go well beyond the assignment to be sure that he squeezed every bit of value out of his studies. In the process, he displayed astonishing interest in details that most people miss.

Of course, there’s a reason for that attention to detail and doing the most: A ship can be sunk by a single mistake. Naturally, a naval officer would have to be detail oriented and able to use good judgment to advance very far in that service.

There was a bigger surprise. Commander Papantoniou’s imagination was outstanding in performing his assignments. One of my favorite courses to teach is based on a book I wrote about making breakthrough improvements in performance. Commander Papantoniou did his finest work in that course, identifying a way to take a simple administrative procedure and make it dozens of times faster and much less costly to perform.

I had a unique perspective to use in examining his course performance. Another brilliant student had completed a similar assignment for a different organization a few months earlier. That other student’s work was so effective that I still use it as an example. Commander Papantoniou, however, found a solution that was 96 percent less costly to use than my other brilliant student had discovered. Such a breakthrough made it seem the Commander was taking the course for the second time.

In the navy, an officer has to be continually prepared to outperform a deadly enemy and deal with the extreme conditions that nature can bring. The consequences of a mistake almost always involve potential loss of life and severe injuries, and many millions of dollars are at risk. Carrying that heavy responsibility provides a clear focus that makes finding operating improvements a breeze by comparison.

There’s also a well-established hierarchy in the navy based on centuries of experience in assessing the qualities that lead to success. Anyone who prospers in such an environment has resources for achievement that academic screening and evaluation usually don’t measure.

I asked Commander Papantoniou about my observations. Here’s what he said:

“A naval officer starts training in leadership very young, from the age of 18 or 19. An officer learns to live in a strict hierarchy. A naval officer climbs the hierarchy step by step, always from the stairways and not from the elevator.

“The training is a perfect combination of theory and continuous practice, the essential difference from someone who has only a theoretical background by graduating from a civilian university. Additionally, a naval officer has the opportunities to face very different or difficult cases, and people in a variety of situations. The officer has to find the best solutions, perfect balance and discipline, and give motivation to the crew to give their best.

“I believe that an ex-naval officer is different and maybe a better business leader because of the way that leadership aboard a ship differs from ordinary leadership roles. The sea gives people a different mentality and influences their way of thinking and leadership. Shipboard officers are open-minded, more adaptive, and more flexible than other officers.”

But earning an MBA online was just the beginning. Commander Papantoniou decided to study for a Certificate of Specialization in strategic management from Greece’s leading university and graduated first in his class. Then Commander Papantoniou enrolled in a second MBA program to earn a degree in Executive Management.

Commander Papantoniou next decided to retire from the Hellenic Navy with the rank of captain, an alternative that he had been considering before he started his business studies. What would he do next to use all of this new knowledge?

One of the largest, oldest, and most respected companies in the Hellenic marine industry soon hired Captain Papantoniou to be its Operations Manager. How’s that for starting near the top?

Not satisfied with what he knew about business, Captain Papantoniou enrolled in an online program to study for a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree, emphasizing change management and leadership. He planned to apply his new learning to the operations he headed. Once again, I had the good fortune to be his advisor.

With his very first DBA course, Captain Papantoniou identified and put into place a superb new business model that will greatly increase the growth and profitability of his company. I believe that by the time he has earned his doctorate the Hellenic marine industry will have been changed in fundamental ways through his insightful and effective leadership.

I asked Captain Papantoniou to share with me his insights into why online education had been so successful for him. He cited these reasons:

1. You can work at your own pace while continuing your naval career.

2. Costs are affordable.

3. Star professors who have written influential books are available at some online universities, enabling a lot of opportunity for one-on-one learning from the best.

4. You have the flexibility to design your own program and apply it to what interests you.

5. If your priority is to learn, there’s no better way to go.

Captain Papantoniou is still a relatively young man. After he completes the DBA, will even more degrees be in his future? Who knows? But I can say for sure that he will always be finding great ways to learn so that he can accomplish more.

What are the lessons for naval officers? According to Captain Papantoniou, they should:

1. Study online to check their interest in other careers.

2. Use online education to add knowledge that can provide career alternatives based on their interests.

3. Get practical support for new careers through on-going online studies.

Naval officers, welcome aboard the online study ship where you can gain many new leadership opportunities!

Among the many benefits of online education is easy access. Many people would really love to continue their education, but are restricted because they simply do not have access to a facility of higher education. This can be a major problem, no matter how ambitious you are to pursue your education and a career.

Fortunately today those who live in areas that do not provide easy access to a college campus can still continue their education online. With the advent of the Internet, those who want to go back to school can now enjoy the many benefits of online education, no matter where they live.

This is great news, not just for students, but also for parents who may be looking at the added expense of sending their children off to college in another city miles away. Not only can this option get very expensive, but also nobody really likes the idea of their children having to move so far away just to attend college.

Now with the benefits of online education, your children can stay close to home and still get a quality education. It is a common misconception that when you go to school online, you sacrifice quality for convenience, but this really is not true. In fact, these days the online education programs can be just as rigorous as those of the traditional college, but the difference is that students tend to get more personalized attention from instructors.

Another of the benefits of online education is that it provides a little more leeway for students to learn at their own pace. This doesn’t really mean that you can take a month to finish an assignment, but the slower pace does seem to suit some students better.

For instance, those who are shy may not want to jump right into class discussions, but will not be as reluctant if those discussions are online. The end result is that they get more out of their education than they would have in a traditional classroom session. Other benefits of online education to shy students or those who may have a more difficult time, is that they can take as much time as they would like to think about questions in assignments before answering. In a traditional classroom, they may feel too self-conscious about taking their time, and just hurry through a test or assignment; this can reflect on their grades.

Aside from these benefits, additional benefits to online education include, saving money on fuel, which is a big deal these days. If you are an adult student, you may find it impractical to relocate to go back to school because you will have to drive an hour or two just to get to class, and that’s after work. This can get tiring, as well as expensive, but when you go to school online, you don’t have to go any further than your computer, and your classroom is right there.

With so many benefits of online education, the option of going to school online is really worth looking into. Who knows, it just may be the perfect solution to the barriers that keep you from going to school.