Mediation and Media Coverage

Thejournal *Médiations et médiatisations* is issuinga call for papers for an issue on the theme “Distance Learning: Some Aspectsofa Long History.”

Among the various forms of adult education (workshops, evening classes, work-study programs, etc.), distance learning (“FAD”) holds a special and significant place, both historically and in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has existed for a long time, in various forms. It first appeared in the mid-19th century with correspondence courses, then moved on to audiovisual media, followed by computer technology, and for nearly twenty years now, it has been gaining ground more and more frequently on the Internet through “online training.” New terms, which clarify how it is organized, have emerged over the years: “open and distance learning,” “hybrid learning” (combining in-person and distance learning), “e-learning” (emphasizing the use of digital technology), “online courses” (highlighting access via the Internet), and MOOCs (or CLOMs, “Massive Open Online Courses,” aimed at broad audiences)…

The eras of print media, radio and television, and information technology and networks could serve as a framework for periodizing FAD… However, technological developments are only one aspect of FAD and are not sufficient to define it. Distance education is also characterized by a series of other specific features that have evolved over the decades: objectives (commercial, social, etc.), organization (more or less industrialized), implementing organizations, enrolled students (whose numbers and motivations have changed), teaching methods and learning situations (a strong emphasis on autonomy, high dropout rates, a frequent sense of isolation now countered by opportunities for interpersonal interaction and collaborative work…), institutional actors whose roles have changed, with the emergence of new positions (project managers, course designers, tutors, technical teams…), sometimes somewhat inaccurately referred to as “professions.”

As part of this special issue, we invite you to present your research, analyses, reflections, or personal experiences regarding the history of distance education by offering a “close-up” on one of the periods, organizational models, or key components of this history. These elements should be contextualized within the history of distance education systems, their uses, and their educational and socioeconomic implications. Three complementary themes may be addressed in particular: the history of pedagogical approaches used in distance education, the history of the use of information and communication technologies in distance education, and the history of organizations emblematic of distance education.

Finally, whether it is a research article, a practitioner’s article, or another type of piece, it is possible, if you wish, to address a current topic (such as distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic), but in that case, you should place the practice being analyzed in a historical context by relating it to key events in the history of distance learning and/or by showing how and why it represents a continuation of or a break from previous practices in this field.

Coordinator of this special issue: Viviane Glikman

* Call for Papers: through Oct. 19, 2020
* Submission of articles: through Nov. 30, 2020

Link:https://revue-mediations.teluq.ca/index.php/Distances/announcement/view/10