Life-long Learning is Definitely Not “Old School”
Face-to-face and technology-based distance learning methods each have advantages that can be combined to best meet the needs of knowledge-seeking employees.

By Michael E. Wonacott

In today’s rapidly changing world, it’s more important than ever for employees to continually enhance their knowledge and skills. Where, when and how employees gain knowledge and skills will depend on the needs of the business and the availability of the employee.

Both face-to-face and distance learning methods are used today in adult education and career and technical education (CTE), and both methods have their individual strengths and limitations.

With the increase in the use of information and communications technology for distance learning, adult and CTE programs use a blend of classroom and distance learning to maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages of each.

Strengths and Limitations
In theory, the advantages of face-to-face and distance learning methods complement each other. The advantage of classroom learning is personal interaction between teacher and students, and among students. The advantage of technology-based distance learning is its flexibility.

In classroom learning, face-to-face contact both in and out of class can help motivate and involve students. Active learning can engage students in thinking and interaction through questioning, discussion, small-group presentation, role-playing and case studies.

Technology-based distance learning makes material available anytime and anywhere. Multimedia can engage multiple brain channels. Graphics can help understanding of complex concepts. Interactive activities can involve students in dynamic learning through a cycle of questions, answers and feedback. Discussion and work groups allow students to evaluate their performance against that of peers.

Distance Flexibility
Both face-to-face and distance-learning programs often rely on the teacher providing most of the information, rather than on interactive student-centered construction of knowledge. Students may end up passively receiving information both in distance learning and in the classroom.

An interesting wrinkle is that different distance learning methods can offer different combinations of personal contact and flexibility. In synchronous distance methods (e.g., satellite TV, audio conferencing, video conferencing and live Internet chat), learners and/or instructors are engaged in the activity at the same time, restricting flexibility. Flexibility is particularly restricted with audio conferencing or video conferencing, because participants must be at a physical location with necessary technology and hook-ups.

Asynchronous methods allow learners and instructors to participate at different times. Learners can listen to audiotapes, view videotapes, check e-mail, log on to a threaded discussion or visit Web pages any time.

Learning Styles
It may be surprising that studies examining the connection between learning style and success among distance learning students yield mixed results. One study found that despite differences in learning style preferences between online and face-to-face students enrolled in an adult advanced technology education program, there was no correlation between learning style preference and course grade. Another study compared distance and face-to-face students (with the same instructor, content, materials, assignment, time frames and tests) and found significant differences in post-test and final exam scores but no significant differences in pretest scores or final course grades.

Both sets of results suggest that neither method is inherently more or less effective. Regardless of learning style, students can be as successful in online learning as in face-to-face learning.

Guidelines for Blending
Good practice in planning, monitoring and managing of distance learning has much in common with good practice for programs delivered through any mode. Critical success factors include:
•    Integration of program planning, monitoring, management and resources
•    A good understanding of the distance learning operations costs
•    Learner contact with instructors and others
•    Student guidance before program entry
•    Well-established procedures for selecting learning materials and monitoring their use
•    Procedures to obtain feedback and a process to incorporate feedback survey results into future program planning.

Online courses must be suited to the requirements of the content and needs of the learner, and can be combined with face-to-face learning in various proportions. Media should be used to suit content. Combining different technologies allows for interaction:
•    Learner-content interaction via Web pages with graphics, animation, audio, video, interactive quizzes and progress checks
•    One-to-one student/teacher or student/student interaction via e-mail and chat
•    One-to-many student/teacher or student/student interaction via e-mail, listserv, group chat and discussion boards
•    Many-to-many student/teacher or student/student interaction via group chat and discussion.

Perhaps the best of both worlds comes from observing the classic precept of sound instructional design that the choice of any learning method should be driven by the needs of the learner, the nature of the content and the interactions needed for learning.

This article is excerpted from Blending Face-to-Face and Distance Learning Methods in Adult and Career-Technical Education by Michael E. Wonacott, courtesy of the Center on Education and Training for Employment, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.