Distance STUDENTS have the perception problem

Enough about distance learning having a perception problem. I've seen enough in the last few days to know that there is plenty of effort going into addressing the "quality" of online eduction. A great number of presentations have been about research into the state and quality of online education. In fact, there was a panel of researchers talking about the quality of the research to study the quality of online education – I'm not kidding. I have heard MANY times that online course design ideas should be (and are being) used to improve the experience of f2f courses – how is that for turning the perception table?

However, what has given me a sick knot in my stomach are the side bar comments that reveal the perceptions about distance STUDENTS. When you scratch below the surface of seemingly benign comments, you reveal the real perception about who distance students "are". I have repeatedly encountered surprise and disbelief that I am a distance student attending an academic conference … this from folks who make their living studying and teaching distance students … so they must know who distance students are, right?

Here are my perceptions of the perceptions:

• Real students (academics!) attend college f2f.
• Online learners (academics? Ha!) access the school through distance learning as an alternative to getting the real f2f experience.
• Distance students are people who would otherwise relocate to campus, but for the other distractions and priorities in their lives (work, family).
• All of these other distractions put school at a different priority for distance students than for f2f students.
• Since distance students have all of these outside priorities and distractions, expectations for distance learners are different than for f2f students.
• … and saving the best for last … students take online classes because the students perceive that the classes are easier.

I'm off to challenge some perceptions …

technorati tags:elearning, online education