Higher education has existed for hundreds of years, and teachers have taught in many ways. In the past 100 years, technology has become an indispensable part of education. This historical period also includes several examples in which technology is the key to achieving higher education teaching. In other words, the intermediary institutions of communication technology allow higher education to be taught in time and space without the participation of teachers and students. The formal method of this form of teaching is called “distance education” or “distance learning”. It started with correspondence research and developed rapidly with advanced technology.

With the increasing importance of online learning as a form of teaching, more and more teachers are teaching online courses. In 2013, a survey of more than 2,200 faculty members showed that 30% of them teach online. Teachers of all professional levels, part-time and full-time teachers, and teachers of various types of institutions have developed and taught online courses. 6 There is evidence that nearly one-third of the faculty and staff are teaching online, and more people plan to teach in the future. This teaching format seems to have reached the innovation “tipping point” described by Everett Rogers. In this case, innovation is a guiding innovation. In other words, online learning seems to have become a common teaching practice among higher education teachers (Johns, 2015).

Distance learning maintains the advantages of face-to-face communication, such as remote video communication or voice communication. Communication can promote learning enthusiasm and other benefits. The communication process between the two agents requires a set of skills in order for this understanding to occur: interpersonal and intrapersonal pro­ cessing, listening, observing, speaking, analyzing questions, and evaluating. It crosses multiple sites: home, school, and community. (Johns, 2015) What follows is a change from the form of understanding and conveying knowledge, that is, meaning can be conveyed through tone, facial expression and body language, and meaning can be understood through sensory perception and emotional perception.

This is also a form of open learning, which provides a more convenient and efficient way to learn knowledge.

In this course, I understand the importance of distance learning. For example, because of the epidemic, the inability to learn face-to-face may bring health problems. At this time, in order to maintain the quality of learning, distance learning can satisfy our learning. This new learning method is very convenient and helps us improve the quality of our learning.

After that, I hope to learn how to communicate with classmates through this learning method to promote learning experience and progress. Communication is very necessary.

 

Reference:

Johns, Hopkins University Press. Teaching Online : A Guide to Theory, Research, and Practice, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=3318874.