Reflection

After somewhat of an eye-opening discussion question survey this week, I have become more aware of how others around me feel about distance learning.  It did not affect how I perceive distance learning, however, and I feel as though they just might be scared of this type of learning environment because they do not understand it.

The future of distance learning, in my opinion, is going to be tremendous and have stupendous growth.  If you look at the growth in just the past 5 – 10 years, it shows what the potential for growth could be going forward.  The advances in technology are vast and changing on a regular basis with upgrades and new inventions and if that is any indication of how distance learning will advance, it has nowhere to go but up!  For this reason, I am very excited about my future career!

As an instructional designer, I will be an example of what an online degree program can produce and I will take every opportunity to prove to those around me that my degree is just as valuable as anyone else’s.  People tend to be scared of things they do not understand, so I hope to be able to reassure future learners that distance education is not anything to fear, but something to treasure instead.  I will try to incorporate all of my learning into designs that give students everything they need to succeed in this environment as well and attempt to build what will “bridge that gap of comfort” (Siemens).

Also as an instructional designer, I will attempt to use “practical experience with new tools” (Siemens) to assure learners that distance education is becoming a way of life.  In order to accomplish this, I will challenge myself to stay abreast of new tools by constantly researching the hottest items on the market and the most current trends, especially up and coming tools for the younger generation.  Without staying on top of technology, it would be difficult to advance in this profession and I have every intention of succeeding as an instructional designer.

I am incredibly excited for what my future holds in this career and believe I have what it takes to succeed.  I am curious about technology advances and enjoy researching and learning new tools, so with these attributes, I do not believe there is any better option for me than the one I am pursuing.  This field is projected to grow going forward and I will do everything within my power to grow with it as well.

References

Siemens, G. (2011). The Future of Distance Education. (Video Program). Laureate Education, Inc.