What is Distance Learning?

Distance learning is the delivery of educational courses to individuals who are not physically present in a traditional classroom setting. Hybrid distance learning is similar but incorporates some class or examination times combined with online or correspondence learning.

Usually students of distance learning (sometimes referred to as distance education) will require access to technology to fulfill their course obligations.  This is most often computer access with an internet connection. As the media used for distance learning becomes increasingly sophisticated, broadband is also becoming a basic requirement.

Contemporary distance learning began in the beginning of the 20^th century and relied on the postal service to deliver lessons. Later the telephone was also used for communications between teacher and student. The University of London claims to be the first university to offer distance learning degrees, establishing its External Program in 1858. This program is now known as the University of London International Program and includes undergraduate to post graduate degree programs created by colleges such as the London School of Economics, Royal Holloway and Goldsmiths.

The correspondence method of distance learning remained popular until the 60s when radio and television became additional mediums for the delivery of distance learning courses. Here forward, instruction continued to be mailed but students could now listen to lessons on the radio or watch instruction on the television. To accommodate these new technologies and the possibilities they brought, the first Open University was established in the UK followed by an Open University in Canada and then in the US. All Open Universities, even today, use distance learning as the main method of learning and teaching. Some of these now boast student rolls in excess of 100,000.

Today television and radio have been supplanted by computers and open universities have become virtual universities, in which the entire educational process occurs over an online connection. The easy access and convenience of distance learning has seen enrollments skyrocket over the past few years. Almost 3.2 million US students were taking an online course during the fall term of 2005 and by 2008, the percentage of undergraduates enrolled in at least one distance education class expanded from 8 percent to 20 percent. Most recently technology methods used in the delivery of distance learning include online three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds.

Distance learning is wonderful in many respects. It enables greater access to education and alleviates capacity constraints on school facilities. Distance learning has been a catalyst for meeting the educational needs of rapidly changing market demands. On the other hand, distance learning can be especially difficult for those prone to distraction. Today technology is a prerequisite for successful distance learning which could place the resource out of reach for some. However, despite the pitfalls, evidence suggests that distance learning is rapidly and globally affording learning opportunities where in the past they did not exist.

The key to education is engagement.

One of the most difficult aspects of distance learning is around how to engage students so that they feel a part of their learning and their school. Distance learning has come a long way from the days of online text and fax or email submissions. Today wiki’s are common, students can meet each other online, discussion posts are par for the course and multimedia is used to engage students on multiple levels. So, while in the past engagement may have been considered an obstacle to distance learning, that is certainly not the case today.