The Challenges of Distance Learning in Higher Education: Affirmation of an Expanding Modality
The search for new knowledge and new qualifications is one of the characteristics of our societies. In this context, higher education has played a central role, unfolding into multiple systems and modalities, always oriented towards being able to fully respond to this purpose.
Distance learning has been one of the modalities used by higher education with enormous development in recent years, adjusting to a standard of living of the population that cannot always benefit from the proximity to a higher education institution or the possible conciliation with the schedule. of their professional activities. For this reason, universities have been created all over the world dedicated to organizing programs using distance learning methodologies.
The pandemic, which has hit us since the first quarter of 2020, has imposed a reduction in face-to-face classes and forced a widespread use of virtual interaction technologies. Through these instruments, it was possible to ensure contact between teachers and students and, in an emergency situation, to continue the training process.
The intensity with which those technologies were adopted led to an attempt to identify the mechanisms of distance learning with the practices adopted in the emergency situation in which we live. The differences are substantial, covering, in the case of distance learning, fundamentally specific pedagogical models, with any course taking place with asynchronous sessions (possibly complemented with well-defined synchronous moments), specific curricular structures, diversity of student profiles, more pronounced autonomous work procedures , monitoring of students with other components, appropriate formative and summative evaluation criteria, program evaluations using other parameters, in addition to, in some cases, recognizing the impossibility of developing laboratory-based distance learning (only partially overcome with the recourse to remote and/or virtual laboratories).
At a time when distance learning is becoming more dynamic in Portugal, it is important to reflect on all these inconsistencies, clarify the confusions that are generated, underline the specific values of distance learning, associating them with its own objectives, its models, methods and procedures, and ensuring the coherence of the teaching areas included in the field of distance learning.
The Conference is intended to address the current characteristics of distance learning. You will benefit from reflections from international experts with recognized experience in this area of teaching. It is intended to contribute to redefining the future conceptual and organizational framework of distance learning in the Portuguese panorama.
João Guerreiro
Chairman of the Board of Directors of A3ES
For more information: challenges-ead@a3es.pt