Running head: DISTANCE LEARNING

A Brief Look at the History, Challenges, and Future of Distance Learning

David L. Lord
Liberty University

EDUC-631
Dr. Jennifer Courduff
September 29, 2013

DISTANCE LEARNING

2
Abstract

This is a brief look at the history of distance learning and a review of some of the
problems and challenges that has been faced in this learning platform. It is not an exhaustive
discussion of all of the problems that has been faced in the development of distance learning as
that would encompass several volumes. This paper ends with a very brief indication as to the
new areas that distance learning is venturing into as it progresses into what seems to be a very
bright future.
Limited examinations of issues such as academic honesty to the financial challenges that
have been, and will continue to be, faced are examined through selected readings. The
relationship between the instructor and student, along with the use of discretion as laid out in the
policies of ITT, are presented to stimulate the readers thought process in those areas to better
understand the latitude that should be available to the distance learning instructor.
Keywords: Distance Education, definition, issues, challenges, trends

DISTANCE LEARNING

A Brief Look at the History, Challenges, and Future of Distance Learning

Introduction
Many definitions have been used to define distance learning. One of the more succinct
definitions says, Distance learning is the delivery of education in which the instructor and
students are not in the same classroom (Lee, 2001 p.85). This definition covers everything from
correspondence courses to internet based courses.
With the variety of more detailed definitions, some common characteristics are shared.
The four most common characteristics are: That the program provides for interaction with the
faculty on an occasional basis, it provides for individualized study and student independence, it
is delivered through courses on and off campus, and that it is based on the needs of the student
(Faibisoff & Willis, 1987).
A brief history
Distance learning holds the belief that sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture
from a professor is not a requirement for learning. The beginnings of this education theory can
be found in the correspondence courses that were in their infancy during the late 1800s in the
United States. These courses were designed to reach an agricultural population that could not
afford to leave their fields to attend a traditional college (Lee, 2001).
Correspondence courses were used by the military to teach new skills to soldiers and civil
service workers working overseas and stateside. This was originally termed distributed training.
The idea was to have the instruction sent to the person taking the class instead of having the
person travel to a central location for the class. (Saba, 2005)
There were those in the military establishment that felt that the sharing of knowledge and
experiences were crucial for students to become fully competent in the given subject. This

DISTANCE LEARNING

resulted in the first challenge of distance learning that students could gain the needed skills
without having to sit in a classroom and interact directly with their peers (Saba, 2005).
In the 1920s, radio was used for educational purposes. This included supporting
services that reached the more rural areas of the country. Technology continued to increase and
saw the advent of television being used after World War II. This continued as technology saw
the use of cable and satellite television being used for distance learning classes. It was in the
mid-1980s that the United States government released the internet for use to civilian
organizations. This moved distance learning from the minor role it held, into the spotlight (Saba,
2005).
The most significant event in distance learning came with the U.S. militarys
commitment. The Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative was started in Washington, D.C. in
1997. The ADL became the impetus of change which moved it from being primarily paperbased and delivery via television to a format that would include the benefits of the up and
coming technologies that came to be used in training, to include the internet. This helped the
Department of Defense to become the leader for technology-based distance education (Saba,
2005).
Over the past decade, distance learning in higher education has become well accepted and
obtained a perception of being legitimate. There is no longer a differentiation between those
degrees earned online and those earned in a traditional classroom. In many cases, those degrees
that are offered in the traditional classroom are offered online with the earned diploma not
differentiating which mode in which it was earned. The improvements in online learning in the
future will be driven by the increased enrollment of those adult learners who prefer the
anytime/anywhere learning environment, widespread internet access, technology improvements,

DISTANCE LEARNING

and the increased legitimacy of online learning. With the recent economic downturns and the
damage that traditional programs suffered through not improving their quality at the same levels
as online programs, it should not surprise anyone that the difference in academic performance
between traditional and online learning will only become more disparate in the next ten years
(Shachar & Neumann, 2010).
Growth
The growth of online learning is difficult to ignore. Many traditional schools have
created classes that are offered online. This provides a sense of credibility to the online distance
learning model and shows the effects of the growing demand (McAllister, 2009).
The growth of online enrollment has been driven by heightened time constraints on adult
students. These students are often engaged in balancing the demands of a career, family
responsibilities, and the need to expand their knowledge base to deal with a workforce that is
changing rapidly, due in part to technological advances. Distance learning, especially online
programs; provide them with the lack of constraints found in traditional classrooms (McAllister,
2009).
An annual review by the Sloan consortium showed that between the years 2006 and 2007
that there was an increase of 10% in distance learning programs. This increase continues to rise.
This good news brings with it a shadow that distant learning programs and instructors must
counter. With the growth, an increase in episodes of cheating and plagiarism grows too. There
is, also, the factor of a rise in student attrition that needs to be addressed. Building a relationship
between the student and the instructor can help mitigate these problems (Lassitter, 2009).
Problems in Distance Education
There are many problems that are apparent in the distance education world. To address

DISTANCE LEARNING

all of them would be beyond the scope of this paper. This is a brief overview of selected
problems.
Academic Honesty
A problem that is so widespread that it undermines the legitimacy of distance learning
degrees earned in the U.S. is academic fraud. The fact that the U.S. is a leader in many of the
developments in technology, it is extremely vulnerable. This results in a growing suspicion
between instructors and students that result in a negative transformation in the way the instructor
views their students. To avoid a situation where the teacher starts looking for evidence of
cheating or other type of dishonesty, communication must be established between the two before
the students are enticed to plagiarize or take some other dishonest action (Lassitter, 2009).
An antagonistic relationship between students and instructors can be avoided through an
understanding and communication between the two. This should take place before the student is
tempted to cheat or plagiarize. As has been noted in the 2007 research of R.M. Palloff and K.
Pratt on building online learning communities, when a course is well constructed, is learnercentered, community-based, and promotes learner empowerment and self-reflection, the notion
of cheating should not become a concern (Lassitter, 2009 p. 54). This brings about one solution
to the prevention of plagiarism, that being by using the Coaching response. A first offense
would be treated as an opportunity to teach the students about proper citation of the work of
another person. This is part of building a strong connection with the student and offers a degree
of trust through coaching, while avoiding condemnation, in response to plagiarism (Lassiter,
2009).
Relationship between student and instructor
The most articulated criticism against online courses is due to the concern that the

DISTANCE LEARNING

communication and cooperation between faculty, students, and their peers is lesser than that of a
traditional classroom course. This makes it difficult for the student to be committed to the
material. This communication is vital to the learning that is at the center of any learning
situation. Enhanced student learning and the strong partnership between formal and informal
interaction between students and faculty has been confirmed though research. When students
turn into both purposeful and active partners in quality educational participation, learning results
are heightened (Rabe-Hemp, Woollen & Humiston, 2009).
Establishing a relationship between the student and instructor is seen as both a problem
with distance learning and a challenge to be met by those teaching in this format. Several
approaches can be taken to aid in reducing this to a level comparable to traditional settings.
Despite an effort to find the origins of the description of a distance learning instructor as the
guide on the side rather than the sage on the stage, this writer has been unable to find one. It is
an often used and rather accurate description of the role of this type of instructor.
Another part of the relationship between the student and instructor that helps to build a
positive relationship concerns the instructor having empathy with the student. This is not to
suggest that the instructor should hold the students hand and guide them through all the pitfalls
that they may experience. It is having the ability and willingness to acknowledge the students
uncertainty, anxiety, and hesitation while experiencing their confidence and sense of
accomplishments through sharing these experiences with them. In distance education, empathy
involves more than understanding which is useful in helping students overcome difficulties. If it
is to be accepted that contact with others are at the center of educational efforts, then we may be
willing to look at empathy as desirable and as an indispensable component of distance education
(Holmberg, 1989).

DISTANCE LEARNING

The building of a learning community should be built to support the students and help
with overcoming the limitations in establishing a relationship between the instructor and the
student. Having established trust through the way the students are treated, the physical distance
between the two may be dealt with. Through using technology and the way the course is
designed, the interaction between students, their peers and the instructor may be undertaken and
possibly exceed that which is found in traditional classrooms. This interaction of the students is
a fundamental part in involving active learners. This contributes to the personalization, an
increased self-esteem, and a chance to connect with other students (Rabe-Hemp, Woollen &
Humiston, 2009).
Discretion in a Distance Learning Environment
Discretion provides instructors with the ability to make wise decisions on how students
performance will affect them in a course, both current and those taken in the future. ITT
Technical Institutes policy on administering the online virtual classroom does not specifically
define discretion that is to be used in that setting. It is expected that the instructor will provide a
document that outlines academic honesty and how it is applied to the virtual classroom, rules
concerning attendance, grading of assignments, and all other parts of and rules pertaining to the
class. This helps to define the expectations and helps students understand what will be required
to succeed both academically and professionally (Carter, 2009).
There are numerous situations where discretion must be applied in the distance learning
setting that are not covered by the ITT Technical Institutes instructor manual. These could range
from problems with a student turning in a project or paper late; to dealing with a student who is
having personal problems outside of the class that is affecting their performance. Likewise,
ethical concerns are not covered either. In those instances, whether they be dealing with meeting

DISTANCE LEARNING

the needs off a mentally or physical disabled person to handling harassment contained in
postings on the discussion board, the instructor must, and is expected to, use rational decision
making and to apply ethical concepts in consideration of a students progress throughout the
course (Carter, 2009).
Differences in student responses between traditional and online courses
While some may say that these differences are not a problem of distance learning, this
writer would argue that these perceptions may affect the way a student responds to online classes
and could be a precursor to their success or failure in a distance education program. A review of
the literature has shown that learning instruments are significantly analogous to many
educational results, and measurements of student satisfaction (Rabe-Hemp, Woollen &
Humiston, 2009).
Even though student grades for courses given on line and in traditional classes were
almost the same, there were differences in reported perceptions. Students who took online
courses claimed to have spent three hours more of class preparation time on their own than did
those in traditional classes. They also reported much higher levels of participation in class and
more contact with their professor than traditional students did. These findings may not be
conclusive though. They may be dependent on a more contemplative approach to learning in the
classes given online due to the type of conversations in the course (Rabe-Hemp, Woollen &
Humiston, 2009).
Concerns that student isolation may be a consequence of online learning were confirmed
by the responses given by online students who rated their quality of interactions with other
students much lower than traditional students. This may be due to how the students defined an
interaction with other students. The discussion sessions were considered as their participating in

DISTANCE LEARNING

10

the online classroom, whereas the traditional students considered such acts as interactions (RabeHemp, Woollen & Humiston, 2009).
Current research shows that students who are more reflective in online courses may be
more introverted in the traditional classroom. Because of the type of learning practices which
are part of the shaping of autonomous learning tend to be more reflective; online students may be
emboldened toward more independent type of learning practices. This may be due to a greater
reliance on the student independence and responsibility for their learning experiences (RabeHemp, Woollen & Humiston, 2009).
Communication
In most cases, especially during the time of correspondence courses, has been the time
involved in the communication process which dominated distance education. Solutions to this
problem have been offered through advances in technology with the creation of bulletin boards
and electronic mail, to name just two. Assignments can now be uploaded or sent to the instructor
through e-mail and be received almost instantly. Turnaround times have been shortened and are
extremely important to students. Research has shown that students accept waiting times and
benefit from observations and criticisms that are given within a week after they turn in an
assignment. If the delay is much longer than that, they are usually dissatisfied. Completion rates
have been corresponded with turn-around time (and with letters of encouragement or reminders
when the student has not been active for a period of time) (Holmberg, 1989).
Financial
The question of the impact that worsening economic conditions have on the increasing
online enrollments is a concern. Downturns in the economy are traditionally times when we see
an increase in the amount of people who are looking to increase their education. Some schools

DISTANCE LEARNING

11

over the past few years have had to cut their budgets and reduce the number of those enrolled in
courses due to funding problems that are related to state budget crisis. During this same period
of time, students are choosing to attend schools that cost less which has increased the number of
those enrolling at community colleges. An online program that is cost-effective will continue to
see enrollments increase as long as financial aid remains available. It that aid is reduced;
enrollments will likely reduce also (McAllister, 2009).
One illustration of the effect of multiple events which negatively impacted the economy
occurred during the 1990s. The Cold War came to an end with reduced the U.S. governments
military procurement. These reductions in purchases lead to the layoffs of engineers, scientists,
mid-level managers and high skilled workers in the defense industry. The resulting economic
recession emptied the treasury of the states which put publicly supported schools, colleges and
universities whose primary source of funding came from local and state taxes to be in financial
trouble (Saba, 2005).
Improvement of information technology aggravated this situation as business and
industries replaced mid-level managers with information systems to become leaner and more
competitive. This put the front line worker in close communication with those at the top of the
company. During this same time, colleges and universities that were supported by the states
were attempting to increase their enrollments. This aided in the increasing of information
technology which was already underway in higher education (Saba, 2005).
Another factor to consider is that the enrollment costs at colleges across the country have
risen at three times the rate of inflation in the last 20 years on average. During times of
recession, those costs have increased much further, and in certain circumstances doubled, during
times of recession. With only 28% of students completing a four year degree in four years, the

DISTANCE LEARNING

12

concept of a four year college has become a relic of history. This is due to the lack of response
to the needs of the individual student and a system that is one-size-fits-all (Saba, 2005).
Course Management Systems (CMS)
A course management system provides an instructor with the framework and tools that
are needed to create and manage an online course. These are usually relatively easy to use. The
courses can be put online with the help of these prefabricated program packages. There are
concerns from educators and researchers on whether CMS use can really assist in the progress of
quality online education. Debate on the limitations of CMS focuses on such issues as
compatibility, cost, and instructional restrictions (Maushak, Ou, Wang, 2004).
The compatibility is debated due to software produced by different companies make it
difficult, if not impossible, to switch content among the different systems. A set of standards is
needed to allow for communication among the different databases. There is an effort to create
standards for providers of CMS software, but this will take years to develop (Maushak, Ou,
Wang, 2004).
Cost effectiveness has been one of the main factors in the evaluation and selection of
CMS. The licensing costs are regarded as similarly moderate until Blackboard and WebCT
changed their costs for their updated products. Cost issues raised more concerns due to budget
cuts that have affected over half of the public universities (Maushak, Ou, Wang, 2004).
There are options to the commercially packaged CMS. Without getting into details of all
the options, there are web-authoring software packages available from Microsoft FrontPage and
Macromedia Dreamweaver that can be relatively easy to use as a couple of examples. Some
options with these types of alternatives to CMS programs are even capable of creating a threaded
discussion board and create forms that can be used to obtain student information and to assess a

DISTANCE LEARNING

13

students learning (Maushak, Ou, Wang, 2004).

Student retention
Despite the flexibility offered for non-traditional students from online learning, there are
still obstacles that may deter a students commitment to the course. These obstacles can range
from a lack of self-direction to motivation. Many who enroll in online courses are not aware of
the tremendous amount of commitment that is involved in such courses. The instructor must
begin each student with a mentoring role, since their responsibility includes the responsibility of
assisting the student through the evolution to this type of classroom. This will reduce some of
the reasons that students give for not finishing an online program, such as finding the curriculum
weak or confusing, or lack of instructor participation. Instructors are not expected to be
babysitters; however they are expected to validate, motivate and encourage their students by a
consistent and approachable presence (Lassitter, 2009).
Some future trends in distance education
The expansion of distance education is at a steady rate in many institutions. While the
number of students involved in traditional classes still outnumber those who are enrolled in
distance education classes, if the direction of growth continues, distance education will become
the dominate form of teaching and learning eventually (Saba, 2005).
The use of distance education will be used in the foreseeable future in both the
educational and corporate training fields. There is one area where distance learning has been
making inroads over the past 15 years. That is in the primary and secondary educational levels.
Prior to 2005, at least 14 states had either plans for, or had in operation a virtual K-12
school that were sanctioned by their state. The Florida Virtual School (FLVS) was funded by the
Florida legislature as a pilot project in 1997. In 2000, the legislature established FVLS in law as

DISTANCE LEARNING

14

an independent entity with a governing board that was appointed by the governor. Today, FVLS
serves students in Florida as well as those in other states. Students in Florida can attend free of
charge, however, those students from other states must pay tuition. During the 2002-2003
academic year, over 10,000 students were enrolled in FLVS. In addition, the educational
consulting firm, the Peak Group our of Los Altos, California, estimated that more than one
million high school students in the United States were enrolled in courses by way of the internet
in 2005. This was up from just over half a million in 2004 and roughly 378,000 in 2003. This
did not include students who were taking high-school-level or college level placement courses
offered a through their high schools using distance learning (Saba, 2005).
Conclusion
As time progresses, there is every reason to believe that the trend of growth in distance
education will continue. With the growing use of distance education in the K-12 programs,
which are beginning to be used by home schooling families to provide a curriculum for their
children that they can have more control over, distance learning is set to become a dominant
force in education in the very near future.
As distance learning programs continue to grow, and new programs join in this
expanding form of education, more challenges will present themselves. As these challenges
come, technology can be trusted to expand in an attempt to alleviate those problems. Likewise,
with this expansion, a new way of training our teachers will so that they will be able to be that
guide on the side instead of the sage on the stage.

DISTANCE LEARNING

15
References

Carter, R. (2009). Discretion in a distance learning environment: Ethical considerations in a

virtual classroom. Distance Learning, 6(2), 11-12.
Faibisoff, S., & Willis, D. (1987, Spring). Distance education: Definition and overview. Journal
of Education for Library and Information Science, 27(1), 223-232.
Holmberg, B. (1989). Key issues in distance education: An academic viewpoint. European
Journal of Education, 24(1), 11-23.
Lassitter, S. A. (2009, January). Establishing a relationship between virtual instructor and student
in the online classroom. Distance Learning, 6(1), 53-57.
Lee, J. T. (2001, September). Distance education in the military. Marine Corps Gazette, 85(9),
85.
Maushak, N. J., Ou, C., & Wang, H.-C. (2004). Teaching online: Effective alternatives to cms.
Distance Learning, 1(2), 13-22.
McAllister, C. (2009, April). Teaching online: Growth in online education. Distance Learning,
6(2), 35-40.
Rabe-Hemp, C., Woollen, S., & Humiston, G. S. (2009). A comparative analysis of student
engagement, learning, and satisfaction in lecture hall and online learning settings.
Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 10(2), 207-218.
Saba, F. (2005, August). Critical issues in distance education: A report from the United States.
Distance Education, 26(2), 255-272.
Shachar, M., & Neumann, Y. (2010, June). Twenty years of research on the academic
performance differences between traditional and distance learning: Summative metaanalysis and trend examination. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching,

DISTANCE LEARNING
6(2), 318-334.

16