Week 1 Reflection – LTEC 6040: Rethinking Online and Distance Learning

Intentional online learning begins with presence, focus, and thoughtful design.

Before this class, I probably would have explained online or distance learning in a very basic way. Something like, “It’s learning that happens online instead of in a classroom.” That definition still holds, but after Week 1, it feels incomplete.

To me now, online or distance learning is learning that uses technology so teachers and students do not have to be in the same place at the same time. Learning can happen across locations and schedules, and it can be formal, like a university course in an LMS, or informal, like learning through YouTube, Udemy, or Coursera. The common thread is not the tool itself, but how technology is used to support learning and interaction.

Distributed learning feels slightly different. It is less about where learning happens and more about how it unfolds. Learning is spread out over time, across platforms, and often alongside work and life responsibilities. In many ways, this feels closer to how learning actually happens outside of school than the traditional classroom model.

What stood out to me most in the preface and early chapters of Minds Online was the idea that online learning is not about eliminating the classroom. It is about using technology intentionally to support teaching, learning, and interaction. That framing mattered to me because it challenges a lot of the assumptions people carry into conversations about online education. Technology is not the goal. Learning is the goal, and technology either supports it or gets in the way.

This idea also connected directly to our Week 1 class discussion. As we talked through definitions, it became clear how differently people understand “online learning.” That helped me see how many debates about quality start with misaligned assumptions. People are often arguing past each other, critiquing the worst examples they have experienced rather than the concept itself.

I have personally experienced both sides of this. I have taken online courses where I logged in, completed assignments, and never felt like there was a real person on the other side of the screen. Those courses felt isolating and easy to disengage from. I have also been in online environments where a short video, a well-timed announcement, or meaningful feedback made the instructor feel present and kept me engaged. The difference was never the platform. It was the design.

The research supports this distinction. The U.S. Department of Education meta-analysis by Means and colleagues (2010) found that students in online and blended learning environments performed just as well as, and sometimes better than, students in face-to-face settings. The strongest outcomes appeared in blended formats, where technology was used to extend learning rather than simply move lectures online. That finding reinforces Miller’s argument that quality hinges on instructional choices, not delivery mode.

What surprised me most in the reading was how strongly Miller pushed back against the idea that technology itself causes learning. That forced me to rethink how often online learning gets blamed when the real issue is unclear structure, limited feedback, or lack of presence. Poorly designed learning is poorly designed learning, regardless of whether it happens online or in a classroom.

At this point, my philosophy around distance education is still forming, but one thing feels clear. Online and distributed learning are not shortcuts or lesser versions of education. They require more intentional planning, not less. Without physical cues, instructors have to be more explicit about expectations, pacing, and feedback. When that happens, distance becomes much less of a barrier.

Week 1 has shifted how I frame the conversation in my own thinking. I am less interested in asking whether online learning works and more interested in asking under what conditions it works well. It also leaves me wondering how institutions can scale distance education without scaling the same design problems that give it a bad reputation in the first place.

Reference

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. U.S. Department of Education.