Commentary: What, exactly, is 'online' education?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v10i2.1054

Keywords:

Definitions, Online education, ODFL

Abstract

As responsible educators, it is time we admitted that we do not know what 'online' education is. We also need to confront the discomforting realisation that no one else does, either.

The term 'online' has reached the stage where it is now so inclusive as to be meaningless. In embracing too much, it describes nothing. What was once a useful term to describe using the internet as part of asynchronous distance education is now used universally, to describe almost anything. Lectured, synchronous classes are now 'online' (Johnson et al., 2022). Emergency remote teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic was 'online'. Including additional resources on an LMS for students to refer to after class is considered ‘online’. Across much of the educational spectrum, to be 'online' now is far from unusual.

In this commentary I make the case that the term 'online' needs a forced retirement, or, at the least, additional context when it is applied.

Author Biography

Mark Nichols, Te Pūkenga

Dr Mark Nichols is Executive Director of Learning Design and Development with the Open Polytechnic business division of Te Pūkenga. Mark is a Commonwealth of Learning chair, Board member of the ICDE, an Honorary Fellow of EDEN, and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Mark is also on several journal editorial boards and has multiple publications. Mark's long history in open, flexible, and distance education includes hosting the 'Leaders and Legends of Online Learning' podcast, an ironic title given the thrust of this article. Email: nichthus@outlook.com

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Published

2023-07-18

How to Cite

Nichols, M. (2023). Commentary: What, exactly, is ’online’ education?. Journal of Learning for Development, 10(2), 142–148. https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v10i2.1054

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2023): ISSUE 2

Section

Invited Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Mark NICHOLS

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Received 2023-06-20
Accepted 2023-07-06
Published 2023-07-18