International Case Studies of Distance Learning

This article describes three experiences with distance learning outside the United States, each using different delivery mechanisms. In each case, the teaching and learning objectives also differed. International experience with distance education is extensive, going back more than 45 years and, with more advanced communications technologies, more than three decades. For many of the international developments of distance education, technology has played an important, if not critical, role. For many countries, distance learning is the only possibility for learning; traditional types of learning are simply not feasible. Additionally, distance learning often realizes better cost-per-student ratios than do traditional means. In many of the international efforts, projects face a number of challenges, including geography and location, low financial support, and different linguistic traditions. The case studies presented discuss how some of these barriers have been overcome.