DEPM 625
Distance Education, Globalization, and Development
Course Reflection and Learning Journal
DEPM 625 Reflection & Learning Journal- Introduction and elaboration of the course:
DEPM 625 consists of distance education, learning and inclusive data from international, developed and developing countries. This class and my reflection have allowed me to appreciate education and to observe the challenges other developing countries encounterdespite the era we live in. They are still prone to several challenges as of today. People within society between international and developing countries suffer from discrimination, poverty, and lack of technology, political, health issues and much more. DEPM 625 was quite intriguing and it often reminded me of how good or comfortable we live here in the U.S. in comparison to other countries all over the world.
Other topics included literacy rates, globalization and coverage of both national and international policies on distance education, including the role of the state such as World Bank or UNESCO and their policies to Millennium Development Goals.
Thomas Huelsmann consistently embedded us with extensive data, which to some may seem overwhelming but to others, he offered instruction and an opportunity to obtain a wealth of knowledge. Such knowledge one cannot retain all at once but will be able to use in future courses and work environment. This class even brought me back to my roots and I truly enjoyed it.
I came across an article from the Washington Post “The World Bank reckoned that Kenya’s illiterate girls, if educated, could boost that country’s economy by $27 billion in the course of a lifetime; whether an emerging nation likes it or not, its girls are its greatest resource” (The Washington Post, M. Arana, 2013). The relevance of this article, in a nutshell made me captivate the importance of the class and the things we often take for granted.
This statement may pertain to the education of girls or women, but it is also a statement that can be applied to an entire nation or the entire world. The greater number of a nation’s educated inhabitants equals overall continued growth and steady economic success. It is easy to see the need for education, but it is hard to make education available on the level thatit is needed in many countries.
Lack of economic funds is one the numerous reasons for the lack of education or deter from it. Distance learning (DL) can be the solution to the lack of resources to provide needed education for countries all over the world. It is easy to see the need for education, but it is hard to make education available on the level that it is needed in many countries and this class discusses the many challenges and means of a better future. Many countries are now implementing new strategies to assist with the deflation of its un-educated people.
Lastly, Hilary Perraton visited our forum for a week and it was astonishing to see how distance educators themselves don’t always agree with each other. Mr. Perraton wrote his book “Open and Distance Learning in the Developing World.” I feel proud to have met someone who has tried to implement change in an institution such as the University of the West Indies. Many of my friends and family attended that institution and it’s astonishing in my opinion to see how distance education has and is evolving especially in developing countries.
The Washington Post, Arana, M. (2013). Book Review: ‘I am Malala’ by Malala Yousafzai, retrieved on November 18, 2013, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/book-review-i-am-malala-by-malala-yousafzai/2013/10/11/530ba90a-329a-11e3-9c68-1cf643210300_story.html
DEPM 625 Reflection & Learning Journal- Introduction and elaboration of the course:
DEPM 625 consists of distance education, learning and inclusive data from international, developed and developing countries. This class and my reflection have allowed me to appreciate education and to observe the challenges other developing countries encounterdespite the era we live in. They are still prone to several challenges as of today. People within society between international and developing countries suffer from discrimination, poverty, and lack of technology, political, health issues and much more. DEPM 625 was quite intriguing and it often reminded me of how good or comfortable we live here in the U.S. in comparison to other countries all over the world.
Other topics included literacy rates, globalization and coverage of both national and international policies on distance education, including the role of the state such as World Bank or UNESCO and their policies to Millennium Development Goals.
Thomas Huelsmann consistently embedded us with extensive data, which to some may seem overwhelming but to others, he offered instruction and an opportunity to obtain a wealth of knowledge. Such knowledge one cannot retain all at once but will be able to use in future courses and work environment. This class even brought me back to my roots and I truly enjoyed it.
I came across an article from the Washington Post “The World Bank reckoned that Kenya’s illiterate girls, if educated, could boost that country’s economy by $27 billion in the course of a lifetime; whether an emerging nation likes it or not, its girls are its greatest resource” (The Washington Post, M. Arana, 2013). The relevance of this article, in a nutshell made me captivate the importance of the class and the things we often take for granted.
This statement may pertain to the education of girls or women, but it is also a statement that can be applied to an entire nation or the entire world. The greater number of a nation’s educated inhabitants equals overall continued growth and steady economic success. It is easy to see the need for education, but it is hard to make education available on the level thatit is needed in many countries.
Lack of economic funds is one the numerous reasons for the lack of education or deter from it. Distance learning (DL) can be the solution to the lack of resources to provide needed education for countries all over the world. It is easy to see the need for education, but it is hard to make education available on the level that it is needed in many countries and this class discusses the many challenges and means of a better future. Many countries are now implementing new strategies to assist with the deflation of its un-educated people.
Lastly, Hilary Perraton visited our forum for a week and it was astonishing to see how distance educators themselves don’t always agree with each other. Mr. Perraton wrote his book “Open and Distance Learning in the Developing World.” I feel proud to have met someone who has tried to implement change in an institution such as the University of the West Indies. Many of my friends and family attended that institution and it’s astonishing in my opinion to see how distance education has and is evolving especially in developing countries.
The Washington Post, Arana, M. (2013). Book Review: ‘I am Malala’ by Malala Yousafzai, retrieved on November 18, 2013, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/book-review-i-am-malala-by-malala-yousafzai/2013/10/11/530ba90a-329a-11e3-9c68-1cf643210300_story.html
DEPM 625 - Section 9040- Chapter 2