Reflection

 
      In the next decade I think that distance education will easily outdistance traditional classroom learning due to the many advantages that it offers. It will allow students from across the socio-economic gamut to explore learning that would have been out of the question for them merely five years ago. Thanks to the many technological advances that we see happening around us everyday this new way to teach and learn will clearly dominate the educational landscape over the next decade.
   Distance education is definitely the way of the future and it is only going to grow as more students get better with the technology that it requires. Also as education has morphed, as it always does, lawmakers will push more and more funding into this area, thus strengthening this already quickly advancing area of learning and teaching. Over the next 20 years it could very easily replace the traditional classroom in most schools and at many colleges as well. While this day may well be a bit further off than the next 20 years I can easily envision the day when this will occur and so all learning could reasonably be done through distance education. In this way the metamorphosis of the classroom will occur even more fully.
   As an ID I can strive to create educational experiences which are beneficial both for the student and the facilitator and that can promote this type of learning at a high level. By planning and planning well I can show that distance education does work and that it can be a beneficial part of any curriculum. As more students are exposed to this type of learning and they become more comfortable with it then one can reasonably infer that most schools will employ this type of program and that possibly this type of learning could eventually supplant that which takes place in the regular traditional classroom.
  To be a continuous positive force in the world of education in favor of distance education one must always argue for its inclusion when one is creating any new program as well ensuring that your institution of higher learning has the newest and best technology so as to support both your programs and the students who take part in them to the fullest. Even programs that are a bit older, but that work well for their intended uses, can support a program when it is designed with their best uses in mind.
   Overall distance education is the way of the future and thus as ID's we must plan accordingly, so as to keep up with the pace of technological change and ensure that we and our programs and students are not left behind. I feel that it is our responsibilty as ID's to do all this and much more to make sure that we do not get left behind!