The talk about distance education has increased in recent months. Everywhere you look, it seems that another university has entered the distance education business.
Distance education allows institutions to hire faculty from outside the local labor pool.
It also allows institutions to serve an increased number of students without adding infrastructure. There has been an increase in the number of part-time students, with more students struggling to balance the responsibilities of work and family with their academic careers. Distance education gives these students an opportunity to take courses at times that are convenient for them. It also enables students to study subjects that they may not be able to find in locally available programs. There has been an increase in the technological knowledge of the average student.