DISTANCE EDUCATION
Reuben ChukwumaINTRODUCTION TO DISTANCE EDUCATION Distance education as a generic term used to define the field or distance learning is a mode of delivering education and instruction, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional setting such as a classroom. Distance learning provides "access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance, or both. Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason (excluding taking examinations) may be referred to as hybrid or blended courses of study. Massive open online courses (MOOCs), aimed at large-scale interactive participation and open access via the web or other network technologies, are recent developments in distance education. A number of other terms (distributed learning, e-learning, online learning, etc.) are used roughly synonymously with distance education. However distance is the oldest and mostly commonly used term globally. It is also the broadest term and has the largest collection of related research articles. THE CONCEPT AND PRINCIPLES OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL) There are several approaches to defining the term Open and Distance Learning (ODL). Adebayo (2007a) defined open and distance learning as the type of education that takes place outside the conventional school system; it is imparted without necessarily having personal interaction with students or learners. Creed (2001) defined distance learning as ‘an educational process in which a significant proportion of the teaching is conducted by someone far removed in space and /or time from the learners. According to UNESCO (2002), ODL is one of the most rapidly growing fields of education, and its potential impact on all education delivery systems has been greatly accentuated through the development of Internet-based information technologies, and in particular the World Wide Web presenting approaches that focus on opening access to education and training provision, freeing learners from the constraints of time and place and offering flexible learning opportunities to individuals and groups of learners. To Kaufman, Watkins and Guerra (2000),.
