Current distance education practices can be susceptible to types of content-heavy, topdown instruction often seen in physical classrooms. These practices are similar to the activities of corporations, which use recommendation systems and game theory to mold the public sphere and fragment it. We propose that free knowledge creation through open, multichannel communication needs to be used in distance education to allow both individual and collective agency for students to process knowledge and develop higher order reflectivity. Such frameworks would help students of distance education, and instructors to use critical thinking to discuss concepts as equal stakeholders, and develop varied ideological outcomes that could contribute to creating social change. This conceptual paper places current distance education practices within Habermasian theory, discusses ways in which the Internet, and its educative potential has come to be viewed thus far, and suggests platforms that could open distance learning to new possibilities. I would firstly like to thank my advisor, Michael Glassman, for having faith in my abilities. He really inspired me to get back to reading critical theory, and trying to understand how the merger of this powerful form of critique with the practical machinations of educational psychology can produce stunning results. To my lab (Logan, Irina, Marvin, Wendy, Qiannan); all of you have helped me immensely in developing my ideas. Working with my friends and creating the environment we have right now reflects the arguments made in this paper a lot. Lastly, I would like to thank my undergraduate advisor, Dr. Maya Dodd, for teaching me critical theory in the first place. While I did not fully understand it then, I now value what I learnt, because it lies at the basis of how we treat one another as humans.
