Discusses television in the 1960s as a form of communication including commercial television (CTV), public television (PTV), educational television (ETV), and instructional television (ITV). The Educational Media Study Panel (EMSP), an official advisory group to the Commissioner and the U.S. Office of Education, studied the growth of television…

Presents classical definitions and explanations of distance education selected from pioneers of the field or those who have made seminal contributions to the conceptualization of distance education and related fields. Discusses definitions by Desmond Keegan, Michael G. Moore, Borje Holmberg, and Otto Peters. (AEF)

Presents a historical overview of correspondence education. Notes that a great influx of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries increased the demand for distributed learning (among a primarily urban population), and that a similar trend is observable at the end of the 20th century. Briefly compares effects of online technology with…

Argues that development in distance education can be structured into three generations of technological innovation: correspondence, telecommunications, and computers. The technological innovations and resulting paradigm shifts in the delivery of distance education are analyzed through the concepts of interaction and independence. (MBR)

Describes the distance education program at Anadolu University in Turkey and compares its problems and solutions with similar distance programs in other Asian countries. A brief history is presented, enrollment figures are given, and future directions are described. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the history of distance education and provides historical background on the development of the Open Learning Institute in British Columbia. Topics addressed include the environment of British Columbia; expansion of higher education; political influences; and educational influences, including the role of Simon Fraser University. (Contains…

Review of research efforts in the area of distance education highlights the theory and basic character of distance education, course development, communication, evaluation, methods of research, and formulation of a research discipline of distance education. Sixty-two references are provided. (LRW)