A recent review in the San Francisco Chronicle of "Flavor of the Month: Why Smart People Fall for Fads" implies that distance learning and online learning are trends. Hmph!

Distance and online education are NOT fads like Tae Bo videos or Beanie Babies! The concept of education occuring outside the bounds of a traditional classroom is absolutely not a new. According to Michael Jeffries's article, Research in Distance Education, "the history of distance education could be tracked back to the early 1700s in the form of correspondence education, but technology-based distance education might be best linked to the introduction of audiovisual devices into the schools in the early 1900s." Jeffries outlines various advances in instructional media like slides, film, radio, television, microwave technology, as well personal computers and Internet.

Today, it's undeniable - online education is on the rise and it's unstoppable. A Washington Post article sums it up nicely:

"Online enrollment, including multiple courses taken by a single student, jumped from 1.98 million in 2003 to 2.35 million the following year, accounting for 7 percent of postsecondary education, according to Eduventures, a Boston firm that studies trends in education. Another study, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, reports that 65 percent of universities offering face-to-face graduate courses also offer graduate courses online. By early 2008, Eduventures predicts, about one in 10 college students will be enrolled in an online degree program.

'It's only going to grow," said Richard Garrett, an analyst with Eduventures. 'The largest high school graduating class in U.S. history is expected to be 2009. There is going to be a lot of pressure on these students to get education in a competitive market.'"

Education delivered via distance and online learning is here to stay, my friends! You can can quote us on that. Begin your search for accredited distance learning degrees at eLearners.com.