Their findings show that the need to know much more about the impact of race and culture on students' preferences for and ability to use online formats. If lack of technology experience and cultural factors play a role in students' preferences for a learning environment, then African Americans and other minorities could be among those affected most if there is no choice of delivery systems. Finally, it is clear that some students do not do as well with DL formats as others. However, because technology use in K-12 schools is accelerating and students are becoming increasingly comfortable using technology resources, it does not seem prudent to conclude that the level of ability students have now with distance formats will stay the same in the future.

Furthermore, there is evidence that distance programs are expanding. A 2002 survey over 1200 two-year and four-year colleges and universities by the US National Center for Education Statistics found that while only about a third of the institutions offered distance programs in 1999, another quarter planned to launch new programs by 2003 (NCES, 2002). One market forecast recently predicted that the number of students (age range from teenagers to older adults) participating in distance education programs will increase to 2.2 on millions by 2002 – accounting for 15 percent of all US college students (Rochester et al., 2006).

Evaluation of Types of Distance Higher Education

The range and variety of applications is too extensive to review in any detail. However, a few examples of current usage may serve to illustrate the approaches adopted and their relevance to traditional university teaching. Teaching based on video conferencing is pedagogically close, although not identical, to traditional university teaching; at least in so far as lectures, tutorials and seminars can follow more or less the same format. The Center for Continuing Education at the University of Oulu in Finland is an interesting example, which incorporates the delivery