Global
Understanding or Global Domination
International
Perspectives on Distance Education Readings Introduction
Because
of my interest in international travel and my desire to
work some aspect of that into my future educational endeavors,
I have chosen to explore “Section VII. International
Perspectives” from our textbook. Aside from my personal
wanderlust, I find this subject especially interesting because
of the unique opportunities and challenges that distance education
offers in a global context. On the one hand, anything that
promotes communication between people from different parts
of the world and various cultures can have a profound effect
on enhancing understanding between disparate groups. At the
same time there is a concern that by globalizing education,
we will end up with “McSchools” that aim for a
homogenous world of the lowest common denominator. Cultural
differences are another factor that can enhance the depth
of an experience in an online educational community while
creating additional challenges relating to instructional design.
From
my perspective as a techno-geek, I find this subject important
as well. I take online classes for mundane reasons like
avoiding driving at night and traffic problems. But the
idea that it is now technologically possible, for example,
to take a class about Roman civilization with the professor
interactively communicating from Pompeii, is really exciting.
It doesn’t appear that the book focuses on this aspect
as much, but I will be looking at these chapters with my propeller
beanie in gear.
References
Daniel, J., & Mackintosh, W. (2003). Leading ODL Futures
in the Eternal Triangel: The Mega-University Response to the
Greatest Moral Challenge of Our Age. In M. G. Moore & W.
G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of Distance Education (pp. 811-827).
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Evans,
T., & Nation, D. (2003). Globalization and the
Reinvention of Distance Education. In M. G. Moore & W.
G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of Distance Education (pp.
777-792). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Foley,
M. (2003). The Global Development Learning Network:
A World Bank Inititative in Distance Learning for Development.
In M. G. Moore & W. G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of
Distance Education (pp. 829-843). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Gunawardena,
C. N., Wilson, P. L., & Nolla,
A. C. (2003). Culture and Online Education. In M. G. Moore & W.
G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of Distance Education (pp.
753-775). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Mason,
R. (2003). Global Education: Out of the Ivory Tower. In
M. G. Moore & W. G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of
Distance Education (pp. 743-752). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Visser,
J. (2003). Distance Education in the Perspective of Global
Issues and Concerns. In M. G. Moore & W. G.
Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of Distance Education (pp. 793-810).
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
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