The document discusses key aspects of distance education including:
- Nearly 3.5 million US college students took at least one online course last year, representing 20% of students.
- Reasons for increased online enrollment include funding cuts and increased access for non-traditional students.
- Types of distance courses include totally online, hybrid, and web-enhanced.
- Best practices include following principles like active learning, feedback, and respecting diverse talents. Guidelines also call for things like maintaining interaction and equivalent research opportunities.
- Course management systems, content, tools, and assessment methods are all components of online course design. Popular systems include Blackboard and Moodle.