[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-594547-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-594547-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","perspectives-challenges-and-opportunities-for-learning-biology-in-distance-based-settings","Perspectives - Challenges and Opportunities for Learning Biology in Distance-Based Settings","","The history of learning biology through distance education is documented, focusing on how terminology and instructional challenges shape teaching in nontraditional formats. Drawing on published research and the authors’ online teaching experience, the paper provides recommendations and best practices for managing biology courses in distance-based settings. Emphasis is placed on resources for content delivery, laboratory activities, safety, and interaction among participants, alongside the need for further research into virtual labs and simulations for adult learners.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/perspectives-challenges-and-opportunities-for-learning-biology-in-distance-based-settings/594547/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/perspectives-challenges-and-opportunities-for-learning-biology-in-distance-based-settings/594547.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Aldword","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-25","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":26},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"Why do the authors discuss distance education for biology specifically?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"They review and discuss distance-learning issues particularly relevant to biology and address common attitudes held by biology teachers toward distance education.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"What teaching background do the authors bring to the discussion?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Both authors teach at a rural southeastern community college and have taught online for more than six years, including a fully online non-majors biology course and additional online instruction.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"How does the paper distinguish between distance education and internet-based learning?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"It argues that internet-based learning is one form of distance education and that internet-based learning may not occur exclusively by computer, leading the authors to use the broader term “distance-based teaching.”","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},594547,1792890516,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":26,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":106,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},2336478940917,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","PERSPECTIVES  \nChallenges and Opportunities for Learning Biology in Distance-Based  \nSettings  \n*  \nChad L. Hallyburton and Eddie Lunsford  \nSouthwestern Community College, 447 College Drive, Sylva NC 28779  \n*  \nCorresponding Author: [elunsford@southwesterncc.edu](elunsford@southwesterncc.edu)  \nAbstract: The history of learning biology through distance education is documented. A review of terminology and unique problems associated with biology instruction is presented. Using published research and their own teaching experience, the authors present recommendations and best practices for managing biology in distance-based formats. They offer ideas on resources for content, laboratory activities, safety and interaction among class participants. The need for research on the efficacy of virtual labs and simulations in adult biology education is noted.  \nKey words: online biology instruction, online science instruction, web based teaching, distance education  \nINTRODUCTION  \nDistance-education and internet-based learning are no longer novel concepts, as demonstrated by exponential growth of such courses (Dobbs et al., 2009) . In science this trend is slower (Kennepohl & Shaw, 2010) . We suspect that biology teachers fall into three camps with regard to distance education:  \n(1) those to whom the process is so routine that they may give our paper only a passing glance (2) those who are new enough to the process that they are actively seeking information, and (3) those who have a deeply entrenched opposition to the whole idea. Our writing is aimed at all three. In this paper, we will provide a review/discussion of distance learning issues which are particularly relevant to biology.  \nBoth authors, instructors in a small but nationally ranked community college in the rural southeast, have taught online for more than six years. In addition to utilizing various online strategies over the past 10-15 years, we both developed and teach a fully online non-majors biology course. One author also teaches online education courses. The other teaches a course for biology majors, combining face-to-face and online teaching. In addition to formal objectives for this paper, we will offer commentary on teaching biology in alternative formats as we draw examples from our experiences.  \nA Short History of Distance Learning  \nThe exact origins of instruction delivered by the internet are foggy. Many writers place such instruction under the more inclusive moniker of distance-learning and claim roots as far back as the early 1800s in Europe. Correspondence courses, delivered by post, may represent the beginning of our modern practices (Casey, 2008; Dobbs et al., 2009; Schlosser & Simonsom, 2010) . In biology the great Anna Botsford Comstock is of note. Her Handbook  \nof Nature Study (1911) began as a series of lessons for an at-home study package for teachers. In early years, some colleges combined on-campus intensive summer study with correspondence courses (Schlosser & Simonsom, 2010) .  \nAs technology advanced beyond the press and post so did distance education. Audio conferencing, then visual media, became utilized (Anderson, 2008) . In homes, television brought students to the screen for enrichment courses or certificate programs (Dobbs et al., 2009) . Respected universities began to offer fully distance-based degree programs at least as early as the 1960s (Schlosser & Simonsom, 2010) . Today, the process of offering courses online is fostered by commercially available learning platforms such as eCollege, Blackboard and webCT which allow for organization of course materials and communication among participants (Landry, et al.,(2008) . A trend among universities requires students to complete some minimum number of hours in online courses before they are awarded a degree (Dobbs, Waid & del Carmen, 2009) . Online classes are generally more flexible in time and space than their traditional counterparts (Anderson, 2008) . Students with extensive family or","cbCaip0YrmYxMNBR","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaip0YrmYxMNBR","pdf",83967,"English","# Introduction\n## A Short History of Distance Learning\n## Problematic Terminology","[{\"question\":\"Why do the authors discuss distance education for biology specifically?\",\"answer\":\"They review and discuss distance-learning issues particularly relevant to biology and address common attitudes held by biology teachers toward distance education.\"},{\"question\":\"What teaching background do the authors bring to the discussion?\",\"answer\":\"Both authors teach at a rural southeastern community college and have taught online for more than six years, including a fully online non-majors biology course and additional online instruction.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the paper distinguish between distance education and internet-based learning?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that internet-based learning is one form of distance education and that internet-based learning may not occur exclusively by computer, leading the authors to use the broader term “distance-based teaching.”\"}]","Perspectives - Challenges and Opportunities for Learning Biology in Distance-Based Settings | PDF",1792079365,18]