In general, distance education can be defined as a planned teaching/learning experience that uses a wide spectrum of technologies to reach learners at a distance; commonly, distance education is designed to encourage learner interaction and certification of learning (Shields, 1995). Historically, distance education, which does not constrain the student to be physically present in the same location as the instructor, consisted of correspondence study; however, today, the delivery mode of this education is through audio, video, and computer technologies (Shields, 1995).
Typically, distance education is associated with enrollment and study at some educational institution that provides lesson materials prepared in a sequential and logical order for study by students on their own (Willis, 1993). When each lesson is completed the student makes available, by fax, mail, or computer, the assigned work for correction, grading, comment, and subject matter guidance by qualified instructors; corrected assignments are returned to the student, an exchange which provides a personalized student-teacher relationship (Willis, 1993).
There has been a good deal of research on the effectiveness of distance education. In a comprehensive review and discussion of this research, Verduin and Clark (1991) reported that distance education is as effective as traditional instruction provided that three conditions are met. These three conditions are that: (1) the method and technologies used are appropriate to the instructional tasks;
(2) there is student-to-student interaction; and
(3) there is timely teacher-to-student feedback.
According to Verduin and Clark, to the extent that any one of these conditions is lacking, student learning will be debilitated.
While the establishment of virtual universities such as WGU are relatively new developments in the field of distance education, the use of technologies to deliver course material an...