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Evolution of Post-Secondary Distance Education
Abstract
Distance education is an increasingly common educational alternative, as well as a key contributor to the newly competitive landscape in higher education. Once regarded as an experimental alternative outside mainstream university education, distance education has attained new levels of legitimacy and expansion and has grown into a higher education industry of its own. This article discusses the history and transformation of distance education to create a framework for the sequence of events that have contributed to the distance education movements and shaped modern post-secondary distance education programs. The article outlines the evolution of post-secondary distance education from its inception to the present: its progression from informal programs offered by individual providers to a well-organised formal educational alternative; its purpose and characteristics; its expansion and internationalisation; and the various forces that have shaped its growth. While noting that technology has its limitations—it can facilitate teaching but not replace it—the article highlights the crucial role that advancements in technology have played in propelling the evolution of distance education, and points to the role of technology in blurring the conceptual divide between distance and traditional education.
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