It contains short articles on management, personnel, team building, financing, business assessment, international markets, productivity, and regulations. In the 18th and 19th centuries, distance learners communicated with their instructors through the mail . In the 20th century, distance learners used radio and television. Land grant institutions like the University of Missouri have been involved with distance learning since 1914 with the county extension agent.
Distance learning continues to expand from audio tapes to intranet to satellite.
Technology will never replace trainers or instructional designers, but technology brings with it more demands for teamwork and collaboration among a diverse group of workers. Here are some distance learning terms concerning team members and their roles. This person performs the initial analysis and instruction design tasks. An instructional developer writes course materials, exercises, and auxiliary materials. This person helps choose and support the technology.