This article looks at how these terms are aligned, how they differ, and their implications for higher education. It also examines a recent Gartner survey that shows while faculty members are currently the primary source of distance learning content, this will not be the case by 2003, as publishers and other content providers continue the rush to enter the higher-education distance learning market.
Students expect to be treated as customers, no longer accepting poor services or support.
Demands for increased productivity and continued growth in the knowledge economy are driving lifelong learning, which has pushed colleges, universities, and corporate educators to provide more and diverse opportunities for learners. Some institutions see distributed learning and e-learning as the beginning of a new era in higher education, while others fear that the move to more individualized instruction will spell the demise of their institutions. Distributed Learning is the distribution of the learning environment. Learning can be delivered anytime, any place, anywhere, and with any technology. Colleges and universities have e-business activities that are not associated with learning.