This page is meant to be a primer to individuals who do not know or
are not sure what distance learning is. For those of you who do know,
you may want to go directly to my page of Distance
Learning Links. If you want to see ways of funding distance
learning go to this summary of How States Fund
Distance Leaning.
This page is contains the following headings:
Distance Learning or Distance Education is becoming a popular and
viable way for teaching and learning. Adults continue their education,
K-12 teachers use it to enrich classroon instruction and college
professors teach courses to students all over the world. DL
allows independent study, group study or real-time interaction.
A good definition of distance learning is the use of electronic means to
distribute education or training for education or business. This could
be television, videotape, interactive video, audio-graphics, satellite
video or any other electronic means.
Distance Learning allows adult students to take classes whenever and
where ever they are. Businesses are able to offer training sessions to
employees at several sites. Middle school teachers can show the
dissection of a frog without having to do it in the classroom. High
school students in a rural area are able to take advanced courses even
though there is not a teacher in the local school district certified to
teach the course.
Distance Learning allows adult students to complete their degrees
or even get their high school diploma. Degree programs can be
completed at any college or university in the world. Students are
able to do so on their own schedules whether they work 9 to 5 or the
graveyard shift.
Secondary and elementary teachers are able to supplement classroom
instruction. Students can meet children from other countries or
take a trip to the zoo without leaving the classroom.
Businesses use distance learning to offer training to their employees.
In most cases, it is much less expensive for a company to offer this
training with the use of technology. Group projects involving individuals
from several corporate sites can be accomplished easier. Frequent
meetings are feasible because there is minimal or no travel involved.
There are many different types of mediums used for distance
learning. The simplest is television. Broadcasters such as PBS show
educational programming for educators to use in the classroom or to
tape and show later. Video tape fits in this catagory as well.
Video via terrestrial means or satellite can be one-way or two-way. This
type of technology is becoming more prevalent on the desktop. Some of
the most widely used programs include CU-SeeMe from White Pine
Software and Person to Person
(P2P) by IBM. These programs have various hardware requirements that are
explained in each programs specifications.
Attached to this page is a large list of sources on distance learning and ways states fund distance learning. Using Internet
search engines such as Excite,
Yahoo and
Alta Vista, you will find many
other sources. The sources listed here, are the ones I found most useful at
this time. This list will change as other sources become available.
So, check back often.
Questions? Comments? Send me
mail or fill out this form
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Updated: December 6, 1999
Copyright 1996 Theresa Gilliard-Cook
tgillard@mailbox.syr.edu