Different Ages of Distance Education Degrees

The Distance Learning has over a century of history. Specifically, we can distinguish three generations:

* The first generation was the late nineteenth century, will be based on ordinary, mainly paper, in which the interaction between teacher and student and limited to the exchange of raw and rare meetings in person.

* The second generation is stated in the late 60's, makes use of materials and multimedia (print, television, radio, educational software). Interactions between teacher and students are poor, even if carried out through new media such as telephone, fax, e-mail.

* The third generation , also known as online education, and that tax in the last fifteen to twenty years, takes advantage of computer networks, not only for the transmission of the materials, but also as an environment to create collaborative learning processes. The training takes place mainly in the network, knowledge is actively constructed by the participants themselves and their interactions, both with the teacher and between learners, play a fundamental role.

Even today, the Distance Learning is viewed with some distrust, however, tends to be considered a form of teaching 'second class' compared to the traditional one. This perspective, however, 'does not take adequate account of the fact that Fad and, in this case, the network training, third-generation, differs substantially from the traditional classroom, face to face, to the point that, in some ways a bold confrontation with it.

In addition, the two forms of teaching are not mutually exclusive necessarily mutually exclusive, but can finding a successful integration, which can give rise to an innovative model of education, they are privileged: the formation of knowledge as a recursive process, never completed, which can' be continuously enriched, modified, expanded, as well as a collaborative process, where each learner can make its contribution, in which individual contributions are valued, cooperation for a common goal, the possibility' of a training program that meets individual needs, both at content, and timing of use. In order to understand the advantages that offer Distance Learning and must not only provide materials of high quality' and support technologically advanced and efficient, but also promote a genuine culture of ' e-learning. To do this', you are creating professionals, mediators of the formation, able to address properly the parties concerned to the course that best suits their needs. Often, potential learners are not only poorly prepared in the research, selection and choice of course more 'appropriate in their case, but, sometimes, the same sites that provide training is not exhaustive in presenting their offers.

Despite the undeniable distance learning benefits that can offer, it cannot' certainly regarded as the panacea for all ills not all content is suitable to be dealt with in a distance course, such 'as, in some circumstances, can become a blatantly anti-economic approach, especially in the case of a small number of students. Similarly, not all students are given for a course entirely by distance: individuals who can gain the most benefits are mostly, adults, well reasoned, with some prior knowledge and expertise, covering subject taught.