edu-tech

Distance education has a major and varied impact worldwide. The following three examples illustrate some of the factors that influence distance education and show the demand for distance learning opportunities.
1. In sub-Saharan African countries, there is a tremendous shortage of classrooms, qualified teachers, and instructional materials. Distance education has the potential to contribute to national reconstruction by providing economically feasible educational opportunities to people in disparate geographic regions.
2. In response to rapid population growth and a high cost per capita for higher education, China developed a national distance learning program for higher education in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Because China could not afford to meet the higher education needs of its expanding population, the government developed a national radio and television university system.
3. Distance education has a long history in European countries. The continuation of this tradition is evident in the vast array of programs offered by European Union countries such as Spain and France. Enrollment in these programs was almost 23 million in 2000. France, for example, offers university-level distance education through 22 offices within traditional universities. France is also a leader in providing substantial opportunities for distance education training that does not lead to a university degree.