THE FUTURE OF DISTANCE LEARNING
Introduction
Advances in technology: the internet, videotapes, DVD's, email, and video teleconferencing, has transformed the traditional correspondence course to a more viable alternative to the traditional and sometimes restrictive limits to face-to-face classroom interaction between student and teacher. Finally, there is an alternate delivery system of education that has and will continue to have a major impact on traditional “brick and mortar” educational institutions. This alternate delivery method is called Distance Learning. Distance Learning is defined as teaching and learning without the need for the teacher and student to meet at the same time and place. Due to a major increase in working adults returning to either finish theirs degrees or advance their careers in general, the need for flexible class schedules and the lack of available classrooms has stimulated the market for Distance Learning to a level similar to the proliferation of the dot coms of the late 1990’s. Some experts have gone as far as to predict that the "residential based model," that is, students attending classes at prearranged times and locations will disappear in the near future (Blustain, Goldstein, and Lozier 1999 and Drucker 1997). Prospective Distance Learning students should be aware of the negatives and pitfalls before committing to tuitions as high as the $545.00 per unit University of Phoenix charges for its distance learning graduate program.1 A student’s success or failure in a Distance Learning environment depends on the their understanding of the self-guided and varied self-paced curriculum. Depending on the degree objective and the effectiveness of the degree program itself, students will suffer some negative affects do to not benefiting from or contributing to class discussions. (O’Malley)
