What constitutes distance?
Here in Greeley, Colorado, we have some perspective on distances that are really different from those I grew up with in rural Maine. In Maine, it was a long way to Portland — a trip of some 30 miles. Here, Ft Collins is just down the street — a trip of almost 50 miles. Why?
Colorado has some other odd ideas. If you ask somebody in Greeley how far it is to Denver, the answer is, “Not that far.” But if you ask people in Denver how far it is to Greeley, the answer is, “Oh, that’s almost into Wyoming, isn’t it?” Boulder is a whole ‘nother issue — being as how Boulder is described as 25 square miles surrounded by Reality. You don’t so much travel to Boulder as become Boulder. But I digress.
As we’re thinking about the definitions of distance education, think about what makes you feel closer or more distant. Is it just geography? Why do I feel closer to — say, Portland, Maine — than San Antonio, TX? Why is it that I feel closer to my friend in Cleveland, Texas — whom I’ve never met in person and only known for a few months — than I do to the person in the office across the hall whom I’ve known for years and speak to almost every day? Think about your places that are physically more distant but “feel” closer.
How can this be possible? What are the factors that contribute to my perceptions of distance? And how can we use this understanding in creating distance education environments?
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:08 am
[...] Considering Distance [...]
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I think one of the things that makes us feel distance has to do with familiarity. If we can identify with a way of life, type of geography or even a certain population, we feel closer….less of stranger in a strange land, so to speak. Distance can also reflect our life experiences. Growing up in a very small town in rural Eastern Kentucky, I had a much harder time identifying with people and ideas during my university days. Have grown up with a limited view of the world made it more difficult to feel like I was a part of a larger group, especially on a campus of 30,000…which, by some measures would be a smaller university….but to me it was overwhelming! However, I did manage to adapt and eventually feel I belonged there and the “distance” soon became not so distant afterall, and the world became just a bit smaller than it used to be.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:43 am
Distance is one of those things that is relevant to one’s situation. As you said, familiarity has a great deal to do with how close we feel to certain people or places. Several years ago, the term “global village” was often used, and maybe still is, to describe the rapid changes taking place in the world that cause people to be able to communicate and experience other cultures. The world is getting smaller and smaller in that sense. When people communicate, distance decreases. We feel close to people with whom we communicate and share ideas whether we are in close proximity or not. I am learning that there are so many more tools of communication available that I never knew existed. Communication is the key. We all know that people can live in the same house and have much distance between them. When effort is made, by whatever means available, to communicate effectively, the distance is irrelevant.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:10 am
I agree with everything said so far. Distance is a comfort thing. If you feel close to someone and are comfortable communicating with them, then sometimes it feels like they are a lot closer than they really are. When my husband was in Iraq, I only needed to hear him talk to feel like he was right here with me instead of on the other side of the world.
I also think there is a little issue of the unknown. For example, the farthest west I’ve ever travelled is New Orleans. So I know California is far away, but since I’ve never been there, I can’t really fathom how far it is. And if I’m communicating with someone from there, I can’t really picture the distance and I don’t know how far away they really are. So to me it may not feel like they are far away even though they are. I think that makes sense.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan and living in a large city, I had access to anything I wanted or needed within a 10 minute drive. After moving to Kentucky, the closest store that I can get to with any kind of merchandise is 30 minutes away but yet that doesn’t really seem that far after living here for almost 20 years. That 30 minute drive is now just part of my life and I really don’t think much about it. I think that perception has a lot to do with the way people view distance associated with the closeness you feel toward people, places and/or things.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
I have never considered the idea of ‘distance’ in this way. It is a very profound view of the word. But, I can relate personally in a couple of ways. Five years ago, my husband and I built a house about 15 miles ‘out of town’. Now, although I grew up only 1 mile away from our new home, he did not. So, to me and him a trip to town seems like nothing but there are certain members of our family who act like you have to pack a lunch and stop at a rest stop just to come for a visit. I love being in the country where there are few neighbors, no door to door salesmen, and virtually no traffic. But, to his family we may as live in another country.
Another example is I received my first degree from a college in Atlanta, GA. I made so many trips from GA to KY and vice versa that literally I felt like I could make the 500 mile journey with my eyes closed. It seemed like I no sooner got into the car until I had arrived. I actually began to look forward to the trip because it gave me time to be alone and ponder life.
Distance is arbitrary………..
August 24th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
I don’t know…distance is relative. I think it has to be your outlook and attitude that sets it apart. I don’t really think that distance is one of the those things that you can put an acutal description on. Everyone’s perception of distance is different. I know that growing up, I literally lived in the backseat of a car. My parents were big travelers and we saw almost the whole country by car. We even drove to Alaska! Now that was a long distance trip, I don’t know that anyone would disagree with me! Kentucky to Alaska is a long trip for anyone. I remember that I had read so many books along the way, that when we stopped in Wall, South Dakota that my father went and bought me the thickest book he could find to try and save money. I read “Little Women” and loved every moment of it. What a great time.
My best friend and I were even talking about it today. We went to college in Clemson South Carolina together and she lives in New York and I live in KY, and we might as well live next door to each other. I can even go weeks and two months without talking to her and feel the same toward her. Is this the connection between us that eliminates the distance, I would argue yes. You can feel close to anyone if the desire is there.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:41 am
When I have an especially fond memory of a place, I fell like it is closer than the actual physical measurement of distance. For example, In 2004, Gloria and I went with Kentucky Institute of International Studies to Spain and she and I took a little side trip to Paris. We had a wonderful time. That has been over three years, but sometimes I can picture the streets of Segovia (where we housed with a wonderful señora named Josefina) and Madrid and it seems like I remember everything about our stays there. It’s like I know the place by heart, so to speak. I can picture the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in much the same way. The trip was one of the best times of my life. Those places are some 4,000 miles away, but I feel like I would know my way around if I flew there tomorrow.
So, I think that creating a positive atmosphere is a big consideration in teaching distance learning classes. Of course if students arem’t learning very well, they may dread logging on. However, an encouraging and optimistic atmosphere would make them feel welcome.
In this distance learning environment, many of us are new to the technologies that we are learning which gives us a shared commonality. I think the hope would be that the same conditions would exist in other distance learning classes so that students could develop supportive and understanding relationships with each other.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
My commute to work is 45 minutes and everyone there just thinks that is horrible. They are always asking “How can you stand to drive that far?” “Can’t you get a job there?” To me it is not that big of deal. It really is not that far. I like it because it gives me time to gear up for the morning and to loose the problems of the day. I do not take my job home with me this way.
My Aunt lives in Dayton, OH and it takes us 3 hours to drive there. I love to go visit my cousins and see there smiling faces, but we do not make the trip often. Everyone else in my family thinks that it is a long distance and are not up for it. I like going so much that it is just a hop, skip, and jump to me.
Distance is only as far as you precieve it to be. The places I have talked about are not that far, but seem far to some. I think that no matter how far it is to somewhere, if it is important to you it really isn’t that far.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I just read “Cinsidering Distance” again and I had to respond again. The first day I started working on this class I noticed that Dr. Lowell’s location was Colorado. That struck me in a negative way, thinking “Shouldn’t I have a local professor that I could actually talk to face to face if I needed to?” Later I was having trouble getting connected to some of these technical tools and was getting frustrated. I saw that Dr. Lowell was on IM so I told him my problem and he was very personable and helpful. I even saw some of his frustration with the technology. I realized I was talking “face to face” with a human being. Maybe this says some more about distance education.
August 27th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
[...] Considering Considering Distance I just read the post on Considering Distance: http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2006/08/24/considering-distance/. I have been thinking about this myself lately. I recently moved so that I would be closer to work. I had been getting really tired of the “long” drive of about 45 minutes one-way. After my move, I am now only about 20 minutes away, but I did not get the satisfaction I was counting on. It still feels like a long drive, and I can’t figure out why. [...]
August 21st, 2008 at 7:21 am
[...] Considering Distance for some additional questions you might fold into your thinking about distance [...]
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:32 am
Now that I am finally figuring this thing out, I am able to join in. When i saw that Dr. Lowell was in CO. I thought that was wonderful. I didn’t like the fact that I have achieved my undergrad and MA from the same university. Although I know they were in different subject, I think diversity is grand. New ideas, new processes and new people away from the little town of Morehead that may have a new view to stuff. I look foward to my classes this semester I just hope that patience is around.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:23 am
I think that personal feelings make me feel closer to some areas/people than others. I live about two hours from my parents, yet the drive seems to take no time, but if I tell someone I am making a day trip they are like UGH! To them that seems like a long day, but it me it’s familiar. There are people that I see and talk to on a daily basis that aren’t as familiar as a friend that lives 8 1/2 hours away that I only get to see about two times a year. When we do see each other it seems as if we are around each other everyday. Growing up in Pike County, KY I got used to Christamas shopping or just shopping for fun 2-3 hours from home. The closest “city” was that far away so traveling 2-3 hours for something is nothing for me.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Today, distance is so much different than what it probably meant before the age of the Internet. I think the biggest factor that contributes to distance is our personal views and what we are “used to”. I live in a rural area and it takes me about 35 minutes to get to work. When asked how long it takes me, many people say “I could never drive that far”. To me, it is not far. I have lived in this same area all of my life and I don’t consider it distant — it is just another drive to work. I know no different, so it doesn’t bother me. Therefore, I think what we have adapted to is what guides our decision on the thought of distance. As for the thoughts on distance learning. Take this class for example. I have had e-mail conversations with Mr. Lowell many times concerning the class. I already feel as if I know him. He has always been friendly and prompt with replies. This hasn’t always been the case with many traditional classes I have taken (where you can just walk into the professors office to ask questions). Communication definitely makes a difference in setting the class environment of distance education.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:34 am
(I didn’t put my last name on the first one so I wanted to correct that)….
Today, distance is so much different than what it probably meant before the age of the Internet. I think the biggest factor that contributes to distance is our personal views and what we are “used to”. I live in a rural area and it takes me about 35 minutes to get to work. When asked how long it takes me, many people say “I could never drive that far”. To me, it is not far. I have lived in this same area all of my life and I don’t consider it distant — it is just another drive to work. I know no different, so it doesn’t bother me. Therefore, I think what we have adapted to is what guides our decision on the thought of distance. As for the thoughts on distance learning. Take this class for example. I have had e-mail conversations with Mr. Lowell many times concerning the class. I already feel as if I know him. He has always been friendly and prompt with replies. This hasn’t always been the case with many traditional classes I have taken (where you can just walk into the professors office to ask questions). Communication definitely makes a difference in setting the class environment of distance education.
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