OTAN News

National Distance Learning Week 2020 Begins

National Distance Learning Week (NDLW), sponsored by the US Distance Learning Association (USDLA), is November 9 to 13. The USDLA was the first nonprofit distance learning association in the United States to support distance learning research, development, and praxis across the complete arena of education, training, and communications. The USDLA will once again host a series of free, virtual NDLW sessions throughout the week meant to: generate greater awareness and appreciation for distance learning in K-12, higher education, corporate, and government/military; discuss current issues and emerging trends; highlight best practices; and recognize leaders in the field.

Distance learning has been a regular feature of adult education for a number of years and has become the "new normal" in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before COVID-19 turned things upside down, many adult education agencies offered distance learning as a part of their instructional programs to meet the needs of their students who are not able to regularly attend face-to-face courses due to work, family, health, and other personal reasons.

During NDLW 2020 – From Surviving to Thriving: Rocking the New Normal, USDLA is offering a number of free webinars on a variety of distance learning topics. You can sign up for these webinars on the USDLA NDLW webpage. The USDLA website is also a good resource for additional information about distance learning; you can learn more on the USDLA Resources webpage.

NDLW is a great time to celebrate your distance learning achievements and evaluate next steps for increasing distance learning options for your students. If you need more assistance with distance learning at your adult education agency, please contact OTAN at support@otan.us or call us at 916-228-2580.