Distance Learning

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THE ISSUE

Though distance learning in one form or another has been around since farmers used correspondence courses to bone up on plowing techniques, only recently has it become a much publicized alternative to campus-based learning. One impetus to this revolution is that the Internet has significantly facilitated distance learning and is thus provoking tremendous change and experimentation in how education is delivered. The stigma that used to be attached to getting a degree without physically being on a campus hardly exists now. And when "medallion universities" like Stanford, Harvard, and Duke entered the distance education arena, it became legitimate overnight, concurs Michael Lambert, Executive Director of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) in Washington, D.C.

More than technology is driving what is essentially a monumental change in the way people will access education in the coming century. A competitive workplace and the Information Age connect one's level of education with earning potential. People want and need more alternatives to education than sitting in class for a predetermined amount of time. Distance learning can be especially helpful to women who are working in and around the home, or who are looking to gain an advanced degree. It gives them the opportunity to raise their level of education by working in their spare time, on their own schedules. Giving them the opportunity to enter the work force or rise from a current position.

Certainly the number of enrolled distance learning students indicates growing interest in this educational option. Family PC Magazine estimates that 1 million students are taking distance learning classes via the Internet, while the International Data Corporation predicts that the number of college students enrolled in online courses will reach 2.2 million by 2002. When it comes to facilitating distance education, it looks like the federal government is catching up, too. Two initiatives passed in 1998 under the Higher Education Amendments will "significantly increase the number of students who can benefit from distance education," states a recent Department of Education press release.

These changes have not come about without controversy and obstacles. Because it's new and untested, educators are justifiably concerned about quality. However, distance learning providers are quick to point out that distance education is not a replacement for the campus, nor is it for all students. Experts don't deny that face-to-face with a talented professor in a classroom is still the best way to learn. But the reality is that it's simply not available to all those who want it.

While distance education seems to answer a lot of student needs, the fact that drop-out rates are higher than those for campus-based learning cannot be ignored. "Despite what's said about the electronic classroom, it's a lonely way to study," notes Michael Lambert (DETC). Many need and enjoy the stimulus of being around a peer group to share reactions and to help each other.

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