Distance Learning

Distance learning, where students participate in some formal educational program in which they are not physically present in a classroom or on a campus, is increasingly popular. While distance learning is not new, the advent of a mature and robust Internet has made it possible to more effectively deliver materials and communicate with students than was previously possible. Online distance learning, where instruction andDistance Learning from home communication between students and teachers takes place completely via the Internet, is the fastest growing segment of the distance learning market and many "brick and mortar" universities have added online distance learning programs to their offerings.

A May 9, 2006 Wall Street Journal article entitled "Online University Enrollment Soars as Quality Improves" noted that:

While overall higher-education enrollment in the U.S. is virtually stagnant, online enrollment is skyrocketing ... By early 2008, one out of 10 college students will be enrolled in an online degree program, Boston-based market research firm Eduventures estimated last year ... Overcoming skepticism among some faculty members, state universities are capitalizing on their traditional advantages - quality education at affordable prices - to attract a nontraditional student body: online learners who often live out of state. What's more, the online programs generate millions of dollars that can be ploughed back into university operations.

Earn College CreditAccording to a report entitled "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005" published by The Sloan Consortium in 2005:

  • Over 2.3 million students in the United States were enrolled in one or more online courses in Fall 2004.

  • Seventy-five percent of schools offering online courses expect their enrollments to continue to increase.

  • Fifty-six percent of all schools surveyed identified online education as a critical part of the school's long-term strategy.

Freedoms Forum Institute takes advantage of the free software available through Forum for Democracy to offer distance learning courses funded by scholarships for low income and disadvantaged youth. Its goal is to serve as many needy and deserving students as possible across the United States.