September 1999 — Editorial

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Distance Education

By Dr. Sylvia Charp, Editor-in-Chief

Universities offer extensive distance education courses. Over 300 universities and colleges, all fully accredited, now offer degrees in approximately 750 different fields through distance education. Many courses are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. A growing audience of professions is seeking certification. Workers are depending on distance education for self-growth and updating of skills. Every school system in the country is getting wired.Universities offer extensive distance education courses. Over 300 universities and colleges, all fully accredited, now offer degrees in approximately 750 different fields through distance education. Many courses are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. A growing audience of professions is seeking certification. Workers are depending on distance education for self-growth and updating of skills. Every school system in the country is getting wired.

Whether the form of distance learning is synchronous (real time, with fixed meeting times equivalent to classroom instruction) or asynchronous (no fixed time or location, and student not in communication with the instructor or each other at the same time) we see an increase of Web, cable and satellite distribution of education. A number of observations can be made.