opinion ¢º

Distance learning with internet is transforming education as profoundly as it is changing business. As e-mail and WWW technologies are increasingly integrated into daily life on campus, distance learning with internet emerges as an alternative method of education. Distance learning began in the 1960s and 1970s when educational television and cable systems made it possible to broadcast various classes into living rooms. But it is widely spread out with the information superhighway and high saturation of PCs in the late 90s.

The attraction of distance learning are obvious. It is almost asynchronous. Students are expected to read the week's lectures and complete assignments or projects on schedule, but exactly when they do so is basically up to them. Traditional learning is limited to a particular place (the classroom on campus) and specific time. Distance learning provides answers to the problems of time and place. Flexible scheduling of personal time, convenient location and less travel are the major benefits of distance learning. Distance learning institutions also take advantage of offering a new level of courses, increasing enrollment, reducing the need to build and maintain university campus and buildings.

However, whether distance learning is as good as traditional education is debatable. In fact, for the time being it is rather inferior to the traditional one due to the limitations of current technologies supporting distance learning such as network capacity and the availability of equipments. In many institutions there is limited technological infrastructure which supports distance learning. Communication systems can be unreliable and equipment failure happens all the time.

The entry cost to quality distance learning is substantial. It is safe to say that distance learning is a capital-intensive business. Investments in computers, virtual libraries, central servers and networks, ongoing technical supports, program development and marketing should be made in an appropriate way. Labor intensity is another major problem. Distance learning is more time-consuming and more labor intensive to teach an online class than a regular traditional class. It also requires a high level of instructor and staff, who needed to be trained in the current communication and computer technologies. For the students in distance learning class, libraries might be inaccessible and scarce. Inadequate conversation and intellectual dialogue are also obstacles.

Nevertheless, it is an urgent job for professors and institutions to develop the appropriate models of distance learning in the various academic fields. Distance learning is a powerful tool and will play an increasingly large role specially in post-college education. Traditional learning can no longer satisfy all learning needs, especially the needs of working adults. In fact, the natural market for distance learning lies in continuing and professional education for working adults. In the era of knowledge economy, the rapid and efficient acquisition of specific knowledge sets is the most important task for individuals and corporate themselves. Distance learning is the best solution for this.

The Writer is Assistant Professor
Department of Communication and Informations