My professor in  EDUC 685 Principles of Distance Education asked each of us to post our definition of distance learning.

To be honest, I guess I have never really given the idea of distance education much thought.  I’ve taken a few online courses, but distance education is more that sitting at a computer and completing assignments via the internet.

Distance education is a vehicle that brings opportunity to people that otherwise might never have the opportunity to pursue an academic program.  Perhaps there’s no university nearby, or the fact that a mother who has a full time job along with a house and three kids doesn’t have much time to attend classes. Maybe the courses a student working two jobs needs are not offered at a convenient time for him. 

Distance education brings together the latest technology, sound teaching theory and practices, along with a vast number of resources, to provide educational opportunities for students who may be scattered across a wide geographical area.  Since students in distance education may come from greatly varying geographical and philosophical backgrounds, the distance education “classroom” is a place where a plethera of ideas and thoughts may be exchanged and evaluated, and its participants are greatly enriched by the experience.