Communication Technology Update, 9th Edition

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Distance Learning Technologies

Kyle Nicholas, Ph.D.^*

Distance learning is a combination of technologies, teaching practices, and industrial and institutional arrangements that some say are transforming the very nature of education. Distance learning is a “socio-technological system,” and the implementation of new technologies highlights fundamental questions of pedagogy, global and regional challenges in distributing education, and the interpenetration of business practices into public educational institutions (Hughes, 2001).

The term “distance learning” in this chapter serves as a surrogate for a variety of related concepts, including distance education, distributed education, computer-assisted learning, and “open university.” The open university ...