The structure of distance teaching is determined to a considerable degree by the principles of industrialisation, in particular by those of rationalisation, division of labour and mass production. The teaching process is gradually re-structured through increasing mechanisation and automation. (Peters, 1983, p. 110)
Published in Chapter:
Technology in Distance Learning
Fernando da Cruz Bandeira (University Fernando Pessoa, Portugal)
Copyright: © 2008
|Pages: 9
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-885-7.ch214
Abstract
The origins of distance learning (DL), as an alternative way of learning, can be traced back to the 19th century (Rumble, 1988) although it was only with the foundation of the Open University (1969 United Kingdom) that it won its reputation, not only as an alternative way of learning with its individual pedagogic and didactic model, but also as an academic discipline (Holmberg 1989). Since then, and although DL has developed in many ways, according to the different geographical, political, and social circumstances (Moore & Anderson, 2003), it converged into a common ground of practices, concepts, and theories that are widely accepted as its field of practice and theory.