For this month's newsletter, we're going to step back and take a look at where distance education has been and where it's going. Sometimes is seems as if time rushes past; we turn around and wonder where the time went. As the year comes to a close, take stock of what you've accomplished, and think about what's to come. This time, we put distance learning in context as a stage in an evolving enterprise.

Seems Like Only Yesterday...

Just a few short years ago, online learning was in its infancy. Experimenters gushed over plain-text e-mail communication between slow dial-up modems. The education establishment treated distance education with distaste. Instructors who embraced the new delivery method were often derided by their more conservative peers, and students were regarded as little more than cheats.

Now, the state of distance education is very different. Online learning has entered the mainstream. The institution that doesn't offer some distance alternative is rare. Further, with the combination of available learners and ever-improving technology, online education is poised for an even greater expansion.

By Candice Kramer

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Article source: PBS Campus