This report provides a brief description of a 1985 conference on distance education together with the papers presented by six of the seven keynote speakers. It is noted that, in addition to these papers, the conference included 30 application sessions which allowed the 182 participants to select issues and topics to explore in small groups. The keynote papers included in this report are: (1) "Issues in Distance Education," in which Jerold Apps examines three modes of learning in distance education--technical learning, learning for meaning, and emancipatory learning; (2) "Adult Learning at a Distance," in which Michael Moore surveys some current distance learning programs and considers the factors that have made these programs effective and successful; (3) "Heuristics of Instructional Design for Distance Education," in which Terry L. Gibson presents some general rules or strategies for the effective design of instructional programs for distance learners; (4) "Administration of Distance Education Systems," in which Donald McNeil considers the requirements for a successful distance education program in terms of personnel, policies, and resources; (5) "Where There's a Will There's a Way," in which Kathryn S. Atman discusses some of the theory and research that may contribute to the achievement of academic success by distance learners; and (6) "Distance Learning: The Near Future," in which Michael Moore considers the long term developments that may occur in both distance education and the media used to carry out these educational programs. A theoretical model for goal accomplishment is illustrated and four of the six papers include references. (EW)