Initial Perceptions of Distance Learning

I was invited to a video conference years ago. I refuse to tell how long ago, because I would be telling my age, and I don’t want to do that. At the time it was the latest in technology and cutting edge. There was excitement in the air, and everyone was looking forward to see something big. The room was large with three or four special made tables with microphones and gadgets about three feet apart. Each table wrap around the room in the shape of the letter “C” one behind the next. Behind the last table seating for a hundred spectators began wrapping around the room. There was no outside lighting coming into the room and the walls were made of brick. The ambiance of the room was plush.

This setting was when my intrigue for distance learning began. My initial perception of distance learning was that of fascination. It enticed me to learn. How is it done? What does it cost? How can it be applied to my life and profession? What are the benefits of its usage? Distance learning in some form or another began my desire to research technology regardless of difficulty. Distance learning is for me a research project that will never end.