Distance Learning for the Future

Redefining Distance Learning For The Future:
Distance learning has an extensive history and has been utilized throughout many countries over the past 160 years, but only during the last decade has it started to really gain acceptance and popularity. Since its inception, distance learning has evolved from correspondence courses, to educational radio, one and two-way teleconferencing, educational television, video conferencing, and today, distance learning opportunities are most commonly found in a computer assisted/Web-based interactive environment (Saba, 1999; Simonson, 2000).
What we are currently witnessing worldwide is a paradigm shift in the overall educational process. This is evident when observing the rapid growth and expansion that distance educational programs have experienced in recent years. In today's global economy, successful organizations must build on lessons learned by educators and learners of the past to help prepare them for a future which is currently being re-defined.
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