No longer must distance students wait days for responses. Usually e-mails are answered faster than phone calls or faxes. No longer must distance learners hope their local libraries have the resources they need. Students can access vast amounts of information via the Internet and in many cases even hook up with the library located on the campus of the distance provider. Although much attention is given to online innovations in distance education, Michael Lambert, Executive Director of the Distance Education and Training Council in Washington, D.C., observes that the majority of institutions aren't set up yet to offer online learning.
Video is still the primary method of delivering distance education, followed by print.
As online teaching catches on, distance education providers increasingly will be utilizing new technology to offer their courses and degrees to an eager public. For instance, they feel that graduate students are better able to handle the lack of personal interaction than undergraduates who need the sense of community that being on campus offers. Courses that demand a lot of teamwork or small group activity can pose significant hurdles for distance students. However, Almeda believes that creative teaching and further developments in how distance education can be delivered will overcome even those obstacles. In the process of developing the interaction in distance learning, academia is taking a close look at the way on-campus professors and students communicate.