Distance education: trends and redefinition

Distance Education has become widespread in the United States. Many have questioned the appropriateness of distance education when the research clearly demonstrates that most learners prefer to learn in traditional educational settings. Because of the availability of sophisticated telecommunications systems there has been a redefinition of distance education, and an attempt to use technology to make equivalent the experiences of all learners no matter when or where they learn. This paper discusses the redefinition of distance education and the philosophical position taken by many in the field