Distributed_Learning-higherEd

Higher Education Settings
Distributed learning in higher education takes a very hands-on approach, and instead of just learning, the students have the opportunity to not just participate, but look deeper answering the "how" and "why" to use such learning methods. They engage in a process of knowledge-building rather than knowledge getting.

Many universities are offer hybrid courses, which is a "blended" combination of face-to-face and internet-based learning. In addition to that, some students are able to participate in programs such as Study Abroad, which offers the students the chance learn "on-location."

Students often find themselves engaging in distributed learning out of a manner of convenience. If a group of students have a group project and aren't able to meet in the same location, they might instead meet using instant messenger or collaborative tools. Students are given the opportunity to learn at their own pace and contribute to a wiki on their own time. Students at the Pepperdine University Online Master's of Educational Technology engage in distributive learning to master a larger number of collaborative tools in a few weeks. Each student mastered a resource -- a free web 2.0 tool-- and gave that knowledge as a "gift" to the rest of the students in an online presentation. These can be seen in the design libraries of cadre 11 and 12 under the link collaborative tools on the left.

Return to the mindmaps index