Distributed_Learning_Challenges

**5.1. Elementary Settings**

 * (I think this works better here)Can DL be used with very young students?** Yes, I believe so. I just read about a study in which the fastest growing techies are the 3-5 year olds. (**citation needed)**

**5.3. Higher Education Settings**
However, the example above provides opportunities for not only individual enrichment but organizational and/or collective progression. “Organizations are turning more and more to knowledge creation and management for the development of their competitive edge and organizational strategies.” (p.242 Richardson) With an increasingly broad range of technical, scientific and cultural information opened up by Universities the possibility of true democratization of knowledge becomes more and more a reality. Every system, no matter how open must come with a set of rule, however subtle and ill defined. One such rule for both distributed learning and cognition is access to an abundant supply of accessible information. Universities are increasingly adhering to this rule. **
 * Distributed learning in higher education can take on many forms. An important factor in the development of distributed learning models is access to information and this be best illustrated by examples of Universities publishing entire curricula online for free consumption. MIT, UC Irvine and Harvard are just a few of these examples. MIT’s OpenCourseWare (OCW) program is the culmination of thirty four departments and counting according to the Online Education Database (OEDb). These increasingly familiar programs are not considered to be distributed learning by its, most precise definition, because they are simply clearing houses of knowledge. There is no credit or degrees offered by accessing content. Yet, these institutions are a valuable part in the increasing movement and experimentation in both the development of distributed cognition and learning.

5.4. Corporate Settings
The challenges in corporate settings deals strictly with the education of the employees being trained. Having the employees realize the importance of Distributed Learning in the workplace.... (Karen Smith) **Cost, distributed learning can be expensive depending on what the company is targeting; in any case a dedicated budget is required to guarantee the success of implementing this model. Money is needed to provide computer hardware, infrastructure, IT support, and higher third party consultant to help with the design and development of the model if needed.** **//“cost-efficiency of distributed learning (e-learning) programs has been increasingly important because some institutions have failed due to the lack of well thought out financial budgeting plans" (Morgan, 2000). Further, chief executives are increasingly concerned with the impact of training on “the bottom line” (Phillips, 1997). In addition, it was revealed that trainers perceived that cost is a key barrier for successful implementation of e-learning (Xebec McGraw-Hill, 2000).//
 * Like any decision made in any corporation, an over all cost and effect analysis has to be made to study the impact of that decision on the company’s success in the long run. For any corporation to invest in any training or implement Distributed learning model, the following factors are required in order for it to be successful: **
 * · Cost: distributed learning can be expensive  **
 * · Time to develop and implement. **
 * · Evaluating employees development and performance  **

Time, is required to develop and implement a distributed learning model that is aligned with company’s vision and goals. Such as learning objectives the company wants to achieve. That requires lots of research studies to make sure the right model invested in.**


 * Evaluating employees development and performance is tided to the time spend on developing a model that is aligned with company’s vision and goals. Taking in consideration employee’s reaction to distributed learning in comparison with the traditional face -to-face class room settings. How long does each course take, are resources available, age group performance, level of expertise achieved what is the return on investments. (Dijlah Benjamin** - I am sure there are other challenges feel free to add some more.)