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Essay on Distance Education

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Distance Education

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century, advances in technology have provided people with the means for a new form of education, known today as distance education. In recent decades, the wondrous array of electronic communications technology has given distance education new status. It seems to have something to offer almost everyone. It is now a normal form of education for those in employment, for homemakers and for those who choose not to go to schools or universities for the purpose of learning. In response to this interest, institutions of distance education attempt to provide for their students a complete education system, from enrollment to examination, that is equal in …show more content…

And in a discussion of distance education definitions, Keegan (1986) defines distance education proposing five criteria: (1) the quasi-permanent separation of teacher and learner throughout the length of the learning process; this distinguishes it from conventional face-to-face education. (2) the influence of an educational organization both in the planning and preparation of learning materials and in the provision of student support services; this distinguishes it from private study and teach-yourself programs. (3) the use of technical media; print, audio, video or computer, to unite teacher and learner and carry the content of the course. (4) the provision of two-way communication so that the student may benefit from or even initiate dialogue; this distinguishes it from other uses of technology in education. (5) the quasi-permanent absence of the learning group throughout the length of the learning process sot that people are usually taught as individuals and not in groups, with the possibility of occasional meetings for both informative and socialization purposes. Simply put, distance education can be seen as formal instruction in which a majority of the teaching occurs while the educator and learner are at a distance from one another. Distance education is carried out by an organization that develops educational media to unite teacher and learner and provides appropriate

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