Distance education refers to teaching and learning that occurs when students and teachers are in different physical and/or geographic locations. Although many people believe that distance education is a recent development made possible by the Internet, it actually began in the late 1800s. Distance education has its roots in correspondence courses, which began around 1870.
In the current digital age, information is available in greater volumes and with faster access than in any prior time in history. Harnessing this information effectively can be a challenge and an opportunity for counseling educators and students. Technological innovations are changing the educational environment and allowing for a wide array of flexible education opportunities.
Distance learning occurs when instructors and learners are separated by space and possibly time. Distance learning is part of a system of learning, teaching, communication, design, and management. The learning is interactive and may happen synchronously with instruction or asynchronously. The interaction among instructors, learners, and information is mediated by one or more technologies. Synonyms