Distance Education and Diversity

Perhaps the most emblematic of technology's applications to teaching and learning is distance education. The definition of distance education is simplicity itself. Distance education refers to use of technology to relax the constraints of time and space. Less constrained by time and space, people have opportunities to learn who otherwise might not. This entry describes recent incarnations of distance learning and then discusses how distance education can be connected to ideas of diversity and education.

Several monikers are used to describe distance education. Some more familiar names include distance learning, online education, virtual learning, cyber schools, and blended learning. Regardless of how it is tagged, distance education, in essence, is a collection of technical and social arrangements that allow learners to be connected to educational resources, ...