distance learning

The method of obtaining training without being physically present during the class. Instead, you view the class on a computer screen or broadcast. For example, an engineer may use distance learning by computer to solve (by video conferencing) a malfunction on a Pacific oil rig.

Historical perspective: Online courses, mostly in high schools, proliferated despite debate about their effectiveness compared with F2F instruction. The number of times students enrolled in distance learning courses connected with public schools (using the internet, two-way video, or other technologies) rose from about 317,000 in 2002-2003 to more than 506,000 in 2004-2005, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That's a 60% increase. In at least 66% of the cases, the report says, students earned credit with a passing grade.