Distance education may have a greater impact on the nature of higher education than any innovation since the invention of the printing press. In "virtual classrooms," students and faculty do not have to meet at the same time, collaborative learning is facilitated, and the specialized communication provided by computers can sometimes be better than face-to-face interactions. In an effort to take advantage of distance learning and increase productivity, the Lincoln Campus of the University of Nebraska offers doctoral courses in its Educational Leadership in Higher Education program via computer. In developing the program, the college decided that more and better presented information was not necessarily related to improving the teaching-learning process, and efforts were made to include interactive methodologies. It was also decided to use a direct-call, off-line system rather than the Internet to improve accessibility. In the courses, computer "groupware" is used, providing for open interaction between group members, while course material is organized into modules, with each module containing readings, questions, and assignments requiring responses from individuals or small groups. Students are required to constructively comment on approximately 20% of other group members' presentations. In implementing distance programs, major obstacles include faculty resistance to retraining, administrator concerns related to necessary curricular changes, and concerns related to the costs of maintaining state-of-the-art equipment. Contains 16 references. (BCY)