Summary
The changing and diverse environment in which distance education is practiced has inhibited the development of a single theory upon which to base practice and research. A variety of theories have been proposed to describe classical distance education. They include theories that emphasize independence and autonomy of the learner, industrialization of teaching, and interaction and communication. These traditional theories emphasize that distance education is a fundamentally different form of education.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Holmberg, B. (1985).The feasibility of a theory of teaching for distance education and a proposed theory (ZIFF Papiere 60). Hagen (West Germany): Fern Universiät, Zentrales Institute fur Fernstudienforschung Arbeitsbereich. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 290 013).
Holmberg, B. (1989).Theory and practice of distance education. London: Routledge.
Keegan, D. (1986).The foundations of distance education. London: Croom Helm.
Keegan, D. (1995).Distance education technology for the new millennium: Compressed video teaching. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 389 931).
Moore, M. (1994). Autonomy and interdependence.The American Journal of Distance Education, 8(2), 1–5.
Peters, O. (1988). Distance teaching and industrial production: A comparative interpretation in outline. In D. Sewart, D. Keegan, & B. Holmberg (Eds.),Distance education: International perspectives (pp. 95–113). New York: Routledge.
Simonson, M. & Schlosser, C. (1995). More than fiber: Distance education in Iowa.TechTrends, 40(3), 13–15.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Simonson, M. Equivalency theory and distance education. TECHTRENDS TECH TRENDS 43, 5–8 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02818157
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02818157