This essay originally appeared in the January 2013 issue of Techniques.

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A few years ago, I saw a video of a pop concert. It looked just like concerts of my youth: a well-lit stage amid a darkened crowd flecked with small wavering lights. I laughed when I realized, however, that the swaying glow was coming not from cigarette lighters but from LCD screens.

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This juxtaposition of old flames and new beacons reminds me of distance learning. Once the realm of correspondence schools, whose matchbook cover advertisements promised the chance to learn from home, distance learning has evolved into myriad interactive opportunities that cater to the spectrum of learners’ needs. Striking a match on the correspondence school model, technology has ignited a virtual wildfire of prospects for education.

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Educators have long pondered the technology question. Most of their students know nothing firsthand about, or can scarcely remember, a time before laptops and cellphones. Yet, though they recognize the value of technology, many educators still do not take full advantage of it in their teaching. They are flummoxed by what they perceive as an all-or-nothing choice. If they integrate virtual learning strategies, will they work themselves into obsolescence? If they maintain the status quo, will they be able to fully engage students? These are understandable questions, but I do not believe the answer is mutually exclusive.

Light Sources

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Emerging teaching models combine the best of classroom methods with the litheness of online learning to offer more pathways to learning for more students. Three particularly strong new models of this ilk are gaining popularity in American education: flipped classroom, blended classroom, and supported distance learning. Technology-infused, these learning models suit all types of curricula, including career and technical education (CTE), which leads the way in applied learning by keeping current with technological advances across disciplines. They also echo CTE’s core goal of providing learners with relevant skills and knowledge to prepare them for successful careers.

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The flipped classroom model reverses the traditional lecture/application cycle. Educators post recorded lectures online and assign digital materials to further students’ understanding. Pre-class work by students frees teachers to focus class meetings on discussions to reinforce understanding and hands-on activities for practice in application. Continuous access to lectures supports rigor in learning by enabling students to review lessons, in whole or in part, as many times as needed to grasp content. Relevancy is heightened through increased opportunities for hands-on activities. Further, when students have greater responsibility for content, they practice essential skills, such as self-motivation and time management, which become additional assets for employability and career success.

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The blended classroom model involves mixing in-class lectures with online assignments, giving students opportunities for both group and independent learning. Classroom and online activities are balanced depending on content and learning goals. This model works particularly well for large or especially diverse groups of learners because it supports differentiated instruction to ensure that all students not only meet expectations but are also stretched in their learning.

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Supported distance learning—technology-delivered coursework with low or no classroom residency requirements—is education’s fastest growing sector. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that between 2005 and 2010, distance learning course enrollment among American public high school students increased by 77 percent to 1.3 million students, representing 53 percent of public high school districts. An estimated 18 percent of undergraduates will enroll in distance learning for 80 percent or more of their coursework by 2013, according to coursehero.com.

Snuffing Out the Myths

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The rising popularity of online learning models invites a hard look at the myths and realities of what these approaches offer.

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First, there is the erroneous perception that distance learning is only for adults. Distance and hybrid learning options are relevant across levels, from high school to graduate to career advancement programs, and capture more nontraditional students. The flexibility appeals to learners for many reasons. Some are encouraged—sometimes subsidized—by employers, others are self-motivated for career entry, advancement, or change. Others are pursuing new dreams. Learners who struggle in traditional programs find that asynchronous delivery and other elements of distance learning allow them to eliminate obstacles and forge pathways to learning success.

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A recent Penn Foster blog asked students for feedback about why they had chosen distance learning. Some responses were expected: people with jam-packed lives sought portability and flexibility, employers were paying the fees, and lower costs. Others revealed simple but important personal reasons. One student shared that fluorescent classroom lighting gave her headaches; working at home eliminated the issue. Many respondents mentioned that music—from classical to classic rock—helped them concentrate. Several posters were happy to leave behind noisy classrooms, social pressures, and bullying. For many students, learning had become joyful and purposeful instead of forced.

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Another myth: when it comes to employability, online learning credentials are not valid or valuable. Every consumer service sector has highs and lows in quality. Some remote courses are designed well and led by great teachers; some are not. Some programs are accredited; others are not. Wise students research options to ensure that courses or programs support their academic needs and professional goals. Industries often work on content development with reputable programs—traditional and online—to ensure courses align with industry standards in many fields. Some top-rated companies now look to online learning to enhance employees’ credentials while keeping them engaged in the workforce. Employers also recognize the value in skills required to successfully complete online programs, such as self-motivation, task focus, ability to work independently, and time management.

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Then there is the idea that hybrid and distance learning work only for purely “academic” subjects, not for courses or programs that require hands-on time in labs, practicums, or internships for credentialing. A good example of success in distance learning for a hands-on profession is Penn Foster’s veterinary technician program. Our vet tech students complete accredited coursework online with support from peers and advisors. When they are ready for internships, an advisor helps connect them with an onsite learning position with one of the school’s many partners. The approach works: 100 percent of Penn Foster’s vet tech students have passed the independent credentialing exams required for employment in the field.

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The vet tech program debunks the notion that distance learners must go it alone, without the valuable and vibrant dialog with teachers and peers or well-appointed libraries and other learning resources available on traditional campuses. Flipped and blended classrooms feature classroom or campus time, so these concerns are irrelevant to those models.

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Students enrolled in well-supported distance learning need not worry about isolation either. Quality distance learning programs provide many options for students to engage with peers and teachers through online forums, via email, by phone, and, sometimes, in person with local classmates. In the vet tech program, students regularly connect with peers in online forums, and they work closely, if remotely, with advisors throughout the program, especially when it comes time to arrange for internships.

Tending to the Future

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The go-it-alone myth strikes a chord with many educators. If students have the main responsibility for their learning, what is the teacher’s role? Changes in teaching theory and practice do not change the qualities of a good teacher. The most effective teachers are still those who are most inspired by the possibility and responsibility of helping to shape the future and who aspire to inspire their students. Certainly, distance and hybrid learning models change the educator’s role, but they do not negate it. High-quality programs and courses rely on good teachers who continually seek ways to engage all types of learners so they can succeed not only in the world they live in now, but also in the one they are only beginning to dream up.

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Teaching distance or hybrid model classes is different, but it offers some unique advantages.

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In distance learning, the biggest practical differences for teachers tend to be asynchronistic teaching cycles and limited (or no) face-to-face time. Because distance learners set their own pace, teachers may find they are working with more students concurrently than is possible in a classroom. Staggered learning timelines make this possible, and many educators enjoy simultaneously teaching various stages of their lessons rather than following a sequential path for a set term. Although in-person contact is reduced, there are many opportunities for one-to-one contact by phone and online.

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Flipped and blended classrooms shift the educator’s role from a “sage on the stage” to one of an applied learning coach. With students taking on more pre-class prep, educators have more time to facilitate discussions and hands-on activities.

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One of the most exciting advantages these dynamic models have for teachers is the flexibility to explore “next practices,” innovative and sometimes as-yet untested ideas that may (or may not) evolve into best practices. Next practices speak to the ideals of what education can accomplish, and these teaching models support the creativity educators need to think ahead to those ideals.

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In fact, it’s a bit like switching from cigarette lighters to LCD screens at a concert. The old flame was good in its time, but technology offers a new beacon. As an educator, how will you choose to light up learning?

AT ISSUE: SOURCES FOR USING ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO ARGUMENT