Cognition and Distance Learning

Can distance learning transform higher education, saving money and improving student learning? Modern technologies allow instructors to design distance learning environments with all the features of traditional courses and more. What findings from research on instruction can help course designers make effective choices? I argue that students who take an autonomous stance towards instruction tend to learn from most courses, and that course designers who take a scaffolded knowledge integration approach to course design can enable autonomous learning. To help designers create courses that transform passive students into autonomous learners, this article draws on recent research on instruction. I describe the scaffolded knowledge integration framework and use this framework to interpret current approaches to distance learning.