Reflecting on Distance Learning: What Works and What Needs Work

The shift to online learning over the past decade, and especially during the pandemic, has changed the way educators experience professional growth. I’ve had a mix of highly effective and frustrating online learning experiences, both of which have shaped my understanding of what good distance education looks like. In this post, I’ll reflect on two experiences: one that exemplified quality online learning and one that fell short, with suggestions grounded in theory and research on how to improve.

A Positive Experience: Earning My Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology

One of my most rewarding online learning experiences was earning my Master’s degree in Instructional Technology from the University of Alabama. Every course was delivered online, yet they were accessible, engaging, and most importantly, relevant to my career as an educator.

What made this experience successful was the clear structure and learner-centered design of each course. I could access materials asynchronously, which allowed for flexibility while maintaining rigorous standards. Courses included hands-on projects, collaborative discussions, and real-world applications, key factors that made the learning meaningful and lasting.

This aligns with Simonson and Zvacek’s (2024) emphasis in Teaching and Learning at a Distance on the importance of equivalency, which ensures that learners in distance environments receive experiences equivalent in quality to traditional classrooms. These courses weren’t just a replication of face-to-face learning; they were designed for online delivery, using strategies like multimedia integration, collaborative technologies, and ongoing formative assessment.

The program also followed best practices highlighted in the literature. For instance, Martin, Sun, and Westine (2020) emphasize the importance of instructor presence and timely feedback in online settings, both of which were consistent features of my graduate program. The professors used video announcements, interactive modules, and quick response times to build a strong sense of presence, even at a distance.

An Experience with Growth Potential: Online LETRS Training

In contrast, one online learning experience that could have been significantly improved was my mandatory LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training. Although the content itself was important, the delivery lacked engagement, flexibility, and interactivity. The course was long, text-heavy, and delivered in a passive format with minimal opportunities for interaction or application.

The presenter spoke in a monotone voice, reading slides without incorporating visual aids or multimedia. There were no collaborative components, simulations, or activities to practice what we were learning, just page after page of reading and watching. This created a cognitive overload and contributed to low motivation, both of which are common pitfalls in poorly designed distance learning (Simonson & Zvacek, 2024).

Simonson and Zvacek stress the importance of interaction between the learner and content, instructor, and peers as a central principle of effective distance education. This is echoed in Moore’s (1989) Theory of Transactional Distance, which highlights how a lack of dialogue increases the psychological distance between learners and content. In the LETRS course, this transactional distance was high.

How It Could Be Improved

To enhance the LETRS training, several strategies from both research and practice could be implemented:

• Chunking content into smaller, interactive modules using multimedia (e.g., videos, case studies, simulations) would increase engagement and reduce cognitive load (Mayer, 2009).

• Incorporating interactive tools such as discussion forums, reflective journals, and live Q&A sessions would foster connection and dialogue.

• Adding real-world applications, like analyzing classroom scenarios or creating reading intervention plans, would make the learning more meaningful and hands-on.

• Ensuring instructor presence through personalized messages, video check-ins, or feedback loops would improve learner motivation and accountability (Martin et al., 2020).

These recommendations are not just preferences; they are rooted in best practices outlined by Simonson and Zvacek (2024), who argue that the design of distance education must account for the learner’s context, promote active learning, and prioritize instructional clarity and feedback.

Check out this infographic for five tips for creating effective online learning:

Foundations of Better Online Experiences

Ultimately, my contrasting experiences demonstrate the difference between online courses that are designed intentionally for distance learning and those that are simply transferred online without rethinking the pedagogy. According to Simonson and Zvacek (2024), quality online instruction depends on:

• Careful planning and instructional design

• Ongoing interaction and feedback

• Flexibility and accessibility

• Authentic, learner-driven tasks

When distance learning is rooted in these foundations, it not only meets learners’ needs but also enriches their professional practice. As educators continue to engage in online PD and courses, we must prioritize the intentional design of learning environments, ensuring they are as engaging, effective, and inclusive as possible.

Check out this short video on 7 Keys to Online Course Success:

References

Martin, F., Sun, T., & Westine, C. D. (2020). A systematic review of research on online teaching and learning from 2009 to 2018. Computers & Education, 159, 104009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.104009

Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Moore, M. G. (1989). Three types of interaction. American Journal of Distance Education, 3(2), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923648909526659 

Simonson, M., & Zvacek, S. (2024). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (8th ed.). Information Age Publishing.