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Distance Learning in Postsecondary Education

An increasing number of postsecondary, degree-granting institutions are offering distance education courses.

Institutions cite various reasons for offering distance education courses delivered through the Internet or other audio/video media (interactive or one-way). Among the goals are increasing students' access, increasing enrollments and the institution's access to new audiences, and improving the quality of course offerings (NCES 98-062). Because distance education can eliminate travel and scheduling constraints, it can increase access to higher education. As the costs of computers and other electronic devices decrease, more students will be able to take advantage of these courses.

Although there is limited evidence on whether these goals are being met, increasing numbers of institutions, particularly in the public sector, have begun offering distance learning. Among public 4-year institutions, the percentage offering such courses grew from 62 percent in fall 1995 to 79 percent in 1997-98, and in public 2-year institutions, rising from 58 to 72 percent. In 1997-98, an additional 12 percent of public 4-year and 19 percent of public 2-year institutions planned to offer them in the next 3 years (NCES 2000-013). Consequently, all but nine percent of both public 2- and 4-year institutions either offered or planned to offer distance education courses in the next three years. Private 4-year institutions were much less likely than public institutions to offer such courses in either year, and in 1997-98, 53 percent neither offered them nor had plans to do so in the next three years.

Total enrollment in distance education courses across all postsecondary degree-granting institutions approximately doubled from 1995 to 1997-98, from 754,000 to 1.6 million (NCES 2000-013). The number of students participating is likely to be smaller because some students might be enrolled in more than one course.

From the US Department of Education