Many professional and government bodies such as the United States’ Department of Education’s National Forum of Education Statistics recognize that remote and distance learning are becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s education systems and structures. Not only the quantity, but also the quality of remote learning has improved and increased over the last few years. Technology has played an increasingly important role in this transition.
There are several advantages to distance learning:
- Accessibility for those who do not live nearby/li>
- efficient use of time and transport resources with no need to commute to a central location for each class
- Flexibility to study in any location as long as there’s a stable Internet connection
- Self-paced learning:
- Once you have determined the structure, you are able to skim the materials you have already mastered, and concentrate time and effort on those sections that are new or foreign to you
- you are not held back by the pace of the rest of the class which allows you to excel
- Just-in-time learning; more opportunities to study the most current material available
- Flexibility for those with irregular work schedules
- Accessibility for those with restricted mobility (e.g., handicapped, injured, elderly)
- Accessibility for those with family responsibilities (e.g., parents with young children at home)
