Traditional, Distance and Virtual: an Exploration of Concepts

摘要

Access to higher education expanded dramatically in the latter half of the twentieth century, not only through the expansion of traditional facilities but also through the development of distance learning systems exploiting educational technologies. Pressure to use scarce resources in the most effective way has led to examination of what higher education is about, and the dialogue between teacher and student emerges as of central importance. The distinctions between 'traditional' and 'distance learning' systems are becoming blurred, and the use of a virtual campus means that all students could work in a common online environment. A virtual learning environment must have certain features, and students need to have certain freedoms within it to organise and take responsibility for their own learning, under the management of teachers.