Terrence Young, in the March/April 1998 issue of Knowledge Quest, offers the following definition of distance learning:
[It represents] the process of connecting learners everywhere with remote resources. In its pioneer days, distance learning relied on the U.S. Postal Service for correspondence and home-study courses. Today, technology permits a variety of delivery options: one-way technologies, such as print, audio, and videocassettes, instructional television, radio, and computer-based learning; and two-way technologies, such as audo (telephone only) conferencing, teleconferencing (telephone and television) and computer conferencing (group "chat" on e-mail). The growth of DL telecommunications technology in the Cyberspace Are has opened many options for studying off-campus. Some of the newest methods of DL use the Internet and the World Wide Web. For example, the ICONnect online courses offer the educational community DL through e-mail. Other delivery methods include interactive tutorials on the Web, bulletin boards and newsgroups, real-time interactive conferencing, downloading of curriculum materials and/or tutorials, intranets, and informatics.
Young has also included a wealth of useful sites for acquiring more information on the topic. They include:
AskERIC InfoGuide Distance Education http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/InfoGuides.html
Covers both Internet and ERIC resources.
Distance Education and Open Learning http://www.russianstory.com/cdrom/ided96/links.htm A listing (boks, papers, articles, and bibliographic references) of links to full-text publications on distance and open learning, announced on the Internet.
Distance Education at a Glance http://www.uidaho.edu/evo/distglan.html These guides delineate DL for educators, administrators, and students.
Distance Education Clearinghouse http://www.uwex.edu/disted/home.html Provides informative on the latest developments within the field.
Distance Education General Resources http://www.umac.edu/ide/resources/de-gen.html The variety of links at this site include the usenet group alt.education. distance and DEOS-L discussion forum list.
Distance Education Organizations http://ccism.pc.athabascau.ca/html/ccism/deresrce/institut.htm In listing and describing the major DL organizations around the world, the site reveals their wide range regarding shape and size, in addition to the differing relationships with government, business, and the learners themselves.
The Distance Learning Resource Network (DLRN) http://www.fwl.org/edtech/dlrn.html A WestEd project, established through the Stars Schools Dissemination Project Funding, DLRN disseminates information from and for educators, administraors, policymakers, and parents in distance education.
How to Find College Courses Offered at a Distance http://www.fwl.org/edtech/CollegeDistanceEd.html>
K-12 Distance Learning http://www.usit.net/hp/TTPM/k.12dist.html A survey of DL programs nationwide.
NASA's Quest Project http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ Notes successful ASA Internet projects via the Online Interactive Projects link.
TEAMS Distance Learning http://teams.lacoe.edu/ The site attempts to augment K-12 education by providing educational resources, references, and collaborative projects.
The United States Distance Learning Association http://www.usdla.org/ The agency promotes the development of DL to a constituency which includes K-12 education, higher education, continuing education, corporate training, and military and government training.
Yahoo's Distance Learning: K-12 http://www.yahoo.com/Education/Distance_Learning/K_12/ A wide-ranging assemblage of DL home pages.