You may be familiar with correspondence courses or courses that are broadcast on TV. You may also be familiar with video- or tele-conferencing.
At APU, we think of distance education as an opportunity to provide interactive learning, delivered via the Web.
Our distance education courses feature some face-to-face meetings for orientation, but then rely upon web-delivery for various activities that students complete from their own homes.
How do others define distance education or distance learning?
"At its most basic level, distance education takes place when a teacher and students are separated by physical distance, and technology (i.e., voice, video, data, and print), often in concert with face-to-face communication, is used to bridge the instructional gap. These types of programs can provide adults with a second chance at a college education, reach those disadvantaged by limited time, distance or physical disability, and update the knowledge base of workers at their places of employment."
"When someone completes coursework away from an actual school campus, it is generally called distance learning. This is an umbrella term for many types of learning, including online classes and classes available through the mail. Many distance learning programs are connected to traditional schools, others exist independently."
"Distance education is a method of teaching in which the students are not required to be physically present at a specific location during the term. Instead, teachers and students communicate by exchanging printed or electronic media, or through technology that allows them to communicate in real time."
"Distance learning traditionally has provided access to instructional programs for students who are separated by time and/or physical location from an instructor. Distance learning has been thought of as prepackaged text, audio, and/or video courses taken by an isolated learner with limited interaction with an instructor or other students. This perspective is changing. Today information technologies can allow a rich interactive distance learning experience that may surpass the interactivity of a traditional classroom."
