Teaching features of distance learning

Abstract

When speaking of “distance teaching” it is necessary to emphasize that uteaching, is the substantive and udistance, is just the mode; so that no principies which make teaching in general, valid and rigorous can be excluded here. Even so being in the marging of the existence of different systems of distance teaching. Distance teaching is based on the capacity of self-instructin of the learner, the capacity which justifies the petition of a permanent education which is not equivalent to permanent schooling. All these, the professor, responsible for the planning, application and evaluation of the didactic process, still manifest in distance teaching a fundamental role; the differences with respect to the presential professor are not fundamental, but are the derivatives of the special methodology in question. The very nature of distance teaching require a rigorous planning so much so in the institutional as well as in the strctly didactic level. The didactic planning is based in a learning model, chosen from the most functional and applicable, for distance teaching: Kaufmann, Briggs, Gagné, Dick and Carey, Escotet, Sarramona, etc. The institutional planning should consider the different technical-administrative activities which make distance teaching possible. A fundamental element which differentiate distance teaching is the didactic material, in which the written texts still occupy the main position, provided they Lomply with the requisites of individualitzation, adequation to the teaching aims and didactic eficiency. Lastly so to speak, the future of distance teaching is connect with the future which non-conventional and in general open educational systems could have. The constant increase of demand, the aceleration of changes and the necessity of permanent formation make unfeasible the merely conventional solutions; distance teaching is presented so as a real possibility to consider.