Distance education is a term applied to any form of teaching where the student and the instructor are not in the same place. It can include broadcasts, two-way interactive video, mailed videotapes, the telephone, wireless transmission and the Internet as the information is sent from one location to a student in another area. Its great potential impact on the rural South is already being realized.

"One issue that is especially important to rural communities and potential students in rural areas is that they will have access to educational resources that they did not have access to before. This is a radical change that has the potential to break down the geographical barrier to education," said Sarah Dewees, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies. The Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University recently released Dewees' report.

Institutions of higher education have used distance learning the most, but there are also some virtual high schools across the South where students in remote areas can earn their diploma from a central institution. Distance education also has become important in continuing education training for primary and secondary teachers.

"There is a high cost of providing teacher technical assistance and training in rural areas, so the ability to offer distance education to teachers has been very important," said Dewees.

But providing education from a distance has its difficulties. There are potential challenges that must be overcome before distance education can live up to its promise:

The South must be prepared to handle short- and long-term organizational, management and educational changes.
The digital divide, or groups' limited access to technology, is an ongoing problem among certain Southern populations and could restrict these groups from participating in distance education.
Teachers must learn new teaching approaches to adequately serve their students. Mentoring and monitoring students from a distance also can be a challenge.
New programs offered via distance education must follow a set standard for quality assurance.

While each of these issues can be a problem, the authors state that distance education is both a reality and a vision for the future.

"If implemented properly, rural Southerners will benefit from distance education by attaining high-quality education from around the region and the world," says Dewees.

Success of distance education depends on many factors. These include a high-level governmental and educational system support capable of handling rapid change, effective leadership so that specific needs and priorities are met, and appropriate funding.

"Distance education's promise is the potential for bringing education resources to remote, rural areas, but the challlenge is making sure the physical and social infrastructure is in place to help people gain access to these resources and coordinate learning," Dewees, added.

SOURCE: Dr. Sarah Dewees, Center for Civil Society Studies, John's Hopkins University, (410) 516-3957, and Bonnie Coblentz, Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, (662) 325-2901