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How to plan and manage distance education

Amanda ClarkJuly 16, 2020

Computer on a desk with a school assignment visible on the screen

Distance learning affords learning opportunities to students beyond those of a traditional face-to-face classroom.

Distance learning encompasses a broad term, and although many now associate it primarily with e-learning, this form of education has been around since the 1700s.

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From its initial roots in letter-based correspondence, distance education took on a whole new convenience after the advent of the World Wide Web in 1989. 

With modern society’s booming technology, distance learning programs now boast many tools, including:

  • Video conferencing
  • Telephones
  • Discussion forums
  • Online games

In addition to rapidly developing technology and the unexpected COVID-19 outbreak, more administrators are turning to distance learning than ever before since this method allows students to continue learning without any physical interaction. But as many students, administrators, and teachers now know, a lot goes into transitioning to distance learning.

One of the biggest challenges with distance education is ensuring that your materials remain accessible to all students in your classroom. Administrators and teachers need to explore practical ways to plan and manage learning programs to ensure their students’ academic success.

In this article, we’ll offer you a structured plan on how to successfully implement a distance learning program.

How to plan and manage distance education

  1. Understand the pros of distant learning
  2. Define which learning schedule is best for your institution
  3. Plan open and distance learning
  4. Learn to manage open and distance learning

4 steps to plan and manage distance learning

1. Understand the pros of distant learning

The Distance Education Report conducted in 2017 revealed that over 6 million education students enrolled in at least one online course in 2015. Here are a few of the reasons why distance learning is on the rise: 

  • Flexibility: Students don’t need to be driven to school each morning — they can learn from various locations.
  • Cost-efficient: Online learning can be cost efficient if you use reasonably-priced learning management systems (LMS) or open-source programs like Google Classroom. But platforms can be costly too — Blackboard is one popular distance learning system, and it can cost up to $160,000 a year. Affordable alternatives like Classcraft might make more sense.
  • Self-paced: Many programs allow students to learn at their own pace. Yes, deadlines still come into play, but it’s up to the student to decide when to complete their work, unlike when they’re in the confines of subject periods within a traditional school.
  • Technological: Today, we associate distance learning primarily with technology since many programs require basic computer literacy and usually build on other technical skills.

2. Define which learning schedule is best for your institution

Before breaking down the types of schedules in distance learning, it’s important to understand two important terms: asynchronous learning and synchronous learning.

Asynchronous refers to learning that doesn’t have to occur in real time. 

Asynchronous promotes flexibility because students and teachers do not need to be online simultaneously.

Synchronous learning, on the other hand, refers to the real-time assimilation of information. This type of distance learning is very similar to the traditional classroom because it’s done in blocks of real time. 

Synchronous learning resembles the traditional classroom in the sense that students learn at a pre-established time and consume the material in real time. 

Fixed schedule (Synchronous)

A fixed distance learning schedule requires students to log in at specific times to complete their work. It may require mandatory check-ins as well. As the name suggests, it’s based on a fixed schedule with increments and deadlines designated by the educator or institution. 

Open schedule (Asynchronous)

This type of distance learning gives students the most freedom. Although deadlines are in place, it’s up to the students to dedicate their time to learning and completing lessons on time. 

Hybrid Schedule (Mixed)

This is a combination of the two schedules above, giving students the freedom to complete assignments on their own but requiring them to submit assignments in accordance with deadlines.

3. Plan your distance learning program

Starting a distance learning program from scratch is challenging, and since faculty need to create, organize, and deliver materials online, it takes a significant amount of planning.

Choose the right tools

How are your teachers going to share their content? Are they going to create video conferences, chat by phone, use online learning modules, import their own curriculum into an LMS platform, or integrate online games?

These options may seem overwhelming, so we recommend that you brainstorm a list of technology tools for your virtual classroom. After creating this, go through and finalize it based on:

  • Your teachers’ goals
  • School philosophy
  • Standards
  • Budget

Establish an inclusive learning plan

Be sure to individualize student plans. Like in a traditional classroom, you want to have an inclusive learning plan in place for students who are at risk or have special needs.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Incorporate different instructional formats

Instead of only offering a course based on reading and quizzes, offer one filled with a variety that includes: 

  • Reading assignments,
  • Online activities on platforms like Classcraft
  • Video responses through YouTube
  • Discussions on social media

Use inclusive language within your online curriculum

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Using gender-neutral phrases to address the faculty, guardians, and pupils (e.g., “Dear Students”)
  • Being mindful of overusing the same gender-related personal pronouns in assignments (he versus she)

Make sure your distance learning program caters to students with IEPS and 504 plans

Before kicking off your distance learning curriculum, revisit those IEPs and 504s. Then, reflect on whether your chosen delivery methods lineup with students’ objectives.

Note that you could also use this transition to electronically file all the IEPs and 504s if you haven’t done so yet. (Of course, this depends on the time available before kicking off your distance learning program.)

Reevaluate your budget 

Most schools have online learning applications and subscriptions already in place. In most cases, these programs can still hold a valid place in your distance learning program.

The costliest option that administrators face is a quality learning management system. Some LMS platforms, like Blackboard, come jam-packed with features but are usually costly. On the other hand, free and low-cost systems may not have everything you need.

This is why you should have a budget in place before choosing the right technology for your school.

Decide on the course objectives

Your course objectives may be exactly the same as in your traditional program, or perhaps you’re solely focusing on online learning and starting from scratch. Whatever the situation is, you need to know your objectives and goals for your curriculum.

Here are a few ideas to make this happen:

  • Collaborate with your faculty and administrators
  • Hire curriculum designers and experts. (Outsourcing this task provides time to tend to other facets of launching a distance learning program.)
  • Meet with other schools who are in a similar situation as you
  • Buy pre-planned courses and games that already follow grade-appropriate standards

Set guidelines for how teachers will plan their lessons

Ask yourself the following questions as you go through this process:

  • Are teachers using the same content as they did in their traditional classroom and just adapting it to an online format, or are they sending hard copies of the work home? Note that you can still accomplish distance learning with traditional textbooks and worksheets.
  • Are teachers required to hand in or email lesson plans before beginning distance learning? If so, how do you plan to offer feedback, and do you expect them to use a specific layout?
  • How do you plan on communicating the curriculum guidelines with your teachers? This could be an unfamiliar undertaking for many of your students and teachers, so you’ll need to have a consistent and reliable communication system in place.

Communication options include:

  • Weekly newsletters
  • Blog posts
  • Wiki check-ins
  • Social media updates
  • Video tutorials on current issues

4. Learn to manage distance learning

Planning distance learning is only half of the job; once it’s up and running, you need to maintain it.

Provide support to your teachers

This includes:

  • Training
  • Preparation
  • Continuing Ed opportunities
  • Keeping proper support members on staff (tech support, LMS customer service, curriculum designers, etc.)

Create a set of general-purpose materials.

Overseeing so much course material sounds crazy, right? Make it easier on yourself by choosing a few schoolwide materials that cater to any grade.

Here are a few suggestions for schoolwide programs and resources you can integrate into your distance learning program:

Review your budget

Once you get the ball rolling with your remote learning, you’ll also need to monitor costs to ensure you don’t break the bank.

Here are a few ideas to help you with managing the financial aspect of distance learning:

  • Maintain and update a spreadsheet that keeps track of all distance learning expenses
  • Compare the costs of specific periods depending on the length of your distance learning program (month to month, year to year, etc.). 
  • Keep track of student admissions. Generally, higher enrollment numbers lead to greater profits. But at the same time, this may also mean having to hire more teachers and staff.
  • Provide teachers their own budgets. Allow teachers to customize their courses but provide a predetermined budget for them to do so. 
  • Take note of time-effective strategies. For example, maybe your LMS system lags, resulting in wasted time for teachers and students. If this is the case, you may need to reassess if the LMS cost is worth it or look into a more reliable system that will result in saving money in the long run.
  • Manage schoolwide course materials. You may have a virtual lending library, subscription to scholarly articles (think JSTOR), or even schoolwide textbooks from sources like Pearson, Houghton Mifflin, or even Open Library.

Schedule check-ins

Although you may not be able to host face-to-face meetings, you should still schedule meetings with your staff. Weekly video conferences can provide the feedback and support that your faculty need after a long week of hitting the digital classroom. Plan agenda topics in advance but leave room to focus on problems, solutions, and reflection.

You’re on your way to a successful distance learning program

We’ve identified numerous benefits of distance learning, including:

  • Convenience
  • Cost-efficiency
  • Flexibility 

We also looked at some schedules that you can follow and presented a plan of action to help you and your school as you make this critical transition. 

There’s certainly a lot to do, but by following these guidelines and steps, you’ll be on your way to developing a successful distance learning program. Good luck!

Photo credit : Google for Education

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Intrinsic motivation: 
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When students care about their behavior, a good tiered intervention program becomes great.

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