|
Foundations
of Distance Education
|
History of Distance Education (continued)
Like the Open University, Walden University, founded in 1970, is a well known and accredited, fully distance learning institution in the United States. Walden offers doctoral and master's degrees in Education, Health and Human Service, Management and Psychology.
Multiple technologies including computers and computer networking make up the third generation (1985-1995) technologies used for distance education delivery. Fourth generation technologies, the current generation, combines previous media but also incorporates high-bandwidth computer technologies including:
- desktop videoconferencing
- two-way interactive real-time audio and video
- web-based media, etc.
Each new generation of distance learning technologies increases opportunities for student-to-student and faculty-to-student contact and collaboration (Sherron and Boettcher, 1997).
What
is Distance Education?
There are
about as many names for distance education as there are definitions
of distance education. First and second-generation distance education
was often referred to as:
-
Correspondence Courses, Extension Courses,Extended Studies
-
Home Study, Continuing Education, External Studies
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Self-paced studies, Independent studies, Distance Learning