Mediation and Media Coverage

Thejournal *Médiations et médiatisations* iscalling 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 plays a unique and significant role, 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-based learning, and for the past twenty years or so, it has become increasingly prevalent on the Internet through “online courses.” 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), 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 distance education… However, technological developments are only one aspect of it 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 (high demand for autonomy, high dropout rates, frequent feelings 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.”

For this special issue, we invite you to submit your research, analyses, reflections, or personal experiences regarding the history of distance education by focusing on a specific period, organizational model, or key component of that history. These elements should be situated within the broader context of the evolution of distance education systems, their applications, and their educational and socio-economic 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 (distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, for example), but in that case, the action being analyzed should be placed in a historical context by relating it to key events in the history of distance learning and/or by demonstrating how and why it represents a continuity or a break with previous practices in this field.

Editor of this special issue: Viviane Glikman

* Call for papers: until Oct. 19, 2020
* Submission deadline: until Nov. 30, 2020

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