What is distance learning?

• Author: Mangan, Pat

The hottest topic in the field of education today is distance learning.

Distance learning is education that is accessible at a time, place, location and pace that is convenient to the user. It can come in many forms; over phone lines, on CD-ROM, over the Internet or through a video camera. It can be an instructor in Omaha videoconferencing with managers in Mobile, Lexington and Minneapolis on the fundamentals of risk analysis. It can be an engineer taking a motor repair certification course on-line at home. It can be a lineman on a laptop during his lunch break brushing up on the latest pole maintenance techniques via CD-ROM. It can be a customer learning about the features of a product online before making a purchase. Distance learning breaks down the boundaries of the classroom and makes education more accessible than ever.

Historically, distance learning meant correspondence study. Today, audio, video, and computer technologies are evolving as common delivery modes for education. What is driving this new mode of learning? There are as many reasons for it as there are people. For some, education is important, but the ability to travel or take time off work is not possible. For those in remote areas, distance education is the only practical means of obtaining the latest skills necessary for their jobs.

Some people don't like to travel. Some like to do training in the wee hours of a Saturday morning before the kids wake up. Distance learning provides access to education for many of these individuals.

So, what exactly is distance learning and how does it work? There are many forms of delivery under the distance learning umbrella. Outlined below is a brief overview of the most common forms.

COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING (CBT)

Computer-based training, or CBT, is training that is packaged on a CD-ROM and accessible on a desktop computer through the use of a mouse. No Internet access is required. CBT is often comprised of a set of lessons that include text and pictures to explain concepts. Video clips and audio are often added to enhance explanations. The user is required to interact with the course material using a mouse to select answers to questions or manipulate objects. People who have done CBT will tell you that the more interactive the course, the better it is. Interactions often come in the form of quiz questions or exercises that require users to demonstrate what they've learned. It's a way of keeping the user involved.

VIDEOCONFERENCING

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