Before developing an online distant learning program we need to know something about how to teach and how we learn. After this is accomplished we can attempt to apply our knowledge within the limitations of a web page, browser, and server for the internet. In 1956 a group of psychologists headed by Benjamin Bloom identified three domains of intellectual behavior important in learning. These were cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. Little can be accomplished in teaching affective learning that is characterized by such verbs as accepts, attempts, challenges, defends, disputes, joins, judges, praises, questions, shares, supports, and volunteers.
Psychomotor learning is also outside the domain of online distant learning.
Verbs applicable to psychomotor learning are grasp, bend, handle, operate, reach, relax, climb, shorten, stretch, write and perform skillfully. However cognitive learning as classified below is a domain that can be accomplished using online distant learning. First we need to recognize the limitations of the present internet for most people, especially those that have home computers. Most of the telephone modems connected to the internet receive at 28.8k to 56k bandwidth. This bandwidth is not practical for audio or video.