Annotation of Distance Education in the United States: From Correspondence Courses to the Internet

Jena Canell OMDE 601 Section 9041 01 November 2013 The continued industrialization of distance education during its second wave can directly be related to the use of telecommunications which allowed for reaching larger audiences in addition to advances in technology which continues to allow for further advancements in the use of media and mobile communications to reach audiences in developed and under-developed nations. Caruth, G. D., & Caruth D. L. (2013). Distance Education in the United States: From correspondence courses to the internet. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 14(2), 141-149. Retrieved from http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/ The authors intent is to discuss the early history of distance education (higher) in the United States, as well as comparing the positive and negative aspects of online learning/blended education as compared to receiving a traditional education in the form of time, space and cost. Costs discussed range from that of tuition at traditional universities as well as the cost to train teachers in the online services that can be used to support an online program. The authors document the growing trend and choice of Americans to pursue at least some of their education via online learning however, they also raise the question of whether or not students will wish to continue to receive all of their education via a computer. Both educators are educators with experience in traditional, blended and distance learning. Many readings thus far in OMDE 601 have been directed at the development of distance education from a world-wide perspective whereas this article speaks directly to the United States and provided a different perspective than those of open universities but in reality did not present any different thoughts or ideological differences.