Distance learning is a process in which students learn by using resources that are far away from them, even in another city or country. The students gain access to the resources, including instructors, by using communications technology. The technology may be as simple as printed materials delivered by mail or as advanced as interactive conferencing by computer over the Internet. Distance learning places greater responsibility on the student than traditional learning does. The teacher or instructor serves more as a guide or coach than as a regular teacher.
Distance learning dates from the mid-1800’s, when universities first conducted correspondence courses by mailing printed materials and assignments to students’ homes. The concept gained wider acceptance with the founding of the United Kingdom’s Open University in 1969. The school was set up to provide courses for students who could not attend classes at traditional universities. It has served as a model for hundreds of other open universities around the world that offer distance learning programs. Schools that offer only distance education are sometimes called single-mode institutions. Schools that offer distance education in addition to traditional classroom instruction are called dual-mode or bimodal institutions.
As communications technologies have evolved, so has distance learning. In the 1950’s, some institutions began to use television broadcasts to deliver instruction to students. In the 1990’s, distance learning increasingly involved the use of computers and the integration of various media and technologies. Today, students may receive audio and video materials through satellite transmissions, broadcasts, or the Internet, or through computer programs on CD-ROM’s or other media. Students may also participate in conferences on the Internet and other computer networks.
See also Correspondence school .
