TRENDS IN VIRTUAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES-A Snapshot at the Transformation of Distance Education （上）_计算机网络论文.docVIP

TRENDS IN VIRTUAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES-A Snapshot at the Transformation of Distance Education （上）_计算机网络论文 TRENDS IN VIRTUAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES:A Snapshot at the Transformation of Distance Education （上）_计算机网络论文 (An Abstract) The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on the historical perspective, current practices and future potentials of the new forms of distance education or virtual learning in the information-aged global economy in the 21st century. Distance Learning has redefined itself over the past century and expanded its capabilities in delivering educational content and learning experiences through embracing various advancements of new technologies. The most recent technology advancement in telecommunication and networking has created unprecedented opportunities for distance education to grow and expand. The dramatic advancements of telecommunication, networking, web-based dynamic interface enabling video, voice and data, and constant access have given a new birth to distance learning and created a virtual learning environment for distance education. As a result, attempts have been made to redefine the new mode of distance education and capture the power of anytime, anywhere learning in the terms of e-learning, e-school, virtual school, virtual education, virtual learning, and etc. This paper intends to depict the evolution of distance education from its early stage of correspondence courses to virtual learning to date. The origins, growth, media used, type of students utilizing distance education, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing distance education are examined. The focus of this paper to delineate the different forms of distance learning through various technology advancements and discuss the impact of recent technology advancement on distance education in the United States both at k-12 and college levels. Specifically, this paper is divided into five sections. The first section will delineate the his