Increase in Distance Education

Nowadays most institutions of higher learning in the United States offer some form of distance education program. According to National Center for Educational Statistics in 2000-2001 89% of public 4-year institutions and 40% of private 4-year institutions offered distance education courses, and the total enrollments are over three million in all distance education courses offered by all institutions.

Distance education is from the educator's viewpoint. Distance learning is from the learner's viewpoint. They are almost synonymous, but distance learning may have a more personal, individual connotation, and distance education may have a more institutional, social connotation.