Distance Learning - Access and the Market Place
by Jack Johnson - Chair, WASFAA Task Force on Distance Learning

(This article is designed to provide WASFAA membership with a working knowledge of Distance Learning)

Within the last three years, electronic technology, to include the Web, has been responsible for increasing efficiency in the distribution of goods and services within our society. It seems obvious that it has also been a significant factor in the strong economy that we currently have in the United States. In higher education, we certainly have felt it's presence. Traditional institutions with distance learning scenarios are reporting enrollment gains between 20 and 25 percent annually in those programs. Much of this gain can be contributed to on-line enrollment. In some cases, schools indicate they are actually controlling or limiting this increase due to their restricted budgets, lack of technology, or instructional formats. The growth is truly phenomenal.

Of course the key factor is access. On-line instruction is eliminating the need for students to meet the "time and place" requirements of traditional classroom instruction. This allows prospective students to live their lives at their accustomed paces, meet their family and personal commitments, and still enter the higher education arena. Students are actually becoming "shared customers" within our society. For example, the U.S. Army recently announced a plan that will allow new enlistees to serve four years in the U.S. Army. They will be guaranteed the opportunity to complete a two year associate degree during that four year period. The Armed Forces are rapidly putting in place distance learning centers, and the implications are staggering. Young men and women will be able to serve their country and at the same time complete a two year degree. Once they are separated from the Army, they can then use their GI Bill to fund themselves up through a masters degree. Of course, colleges and universities with distance learning programs will be key providers of the courseware for these associate degrees.

Nearly a year ago the Benton Foundation reported the PC penetration into homes in the United States had reached 50 percent. I don't have the statistics, but I would guess that penetration to the homes of students and prospective students is now higher than 50%. This means the majority of prospective students now have the means to search, select, and enroll into on-line courses right from their homes. I should point out that there are numerous sights on the Web that offer free services to prospective students as they search for the educational program that fits their needs. Given this information, it becomes obvious that on-line instruction will continue to expand it's role in delivering education, simply because it provides additional access. The "market place" for higher education is being influenced by electronic technology that includes the Web.