Distance Education at Postsecondary Education Institutions: 1997-98.

Overview & Synopsis

This report presents findings from the second nationally representative survey of distance education undertaken by the National Center for Education Statistics. The survey, released in December 1999, collected information about the 1997-1998 academic year. The report also presents new information about fields of study and instructional levels of courses and programs offered through distance education and about trends in higher education. Distance education is more likely to be conducted by public institutions, with 78% of public 4-year and 62% of public 2-year institutions offering distance education courses. The survey indicated that there were an estimated 1,661,100 enrollees in all college-level distance education in the United States. An estimated 25,730 distance education courses were offered by 2-year and 4-year institutions, representing 34% of all institutions. Eight percent of all 2-year and 4-year institutions offered college-level degree or certificate programs that were designed to be completed totally through distance education. In 1997-1998, the technologies used by most distance education providers were Internet courses using asynchronous computer-based instruction, two-way interactive video, and one-way prerecorded video. About three-quarters of institutions charged the same tuition for distance education courses as for comparable on-campus courses. Distance education appears to have become a common feature of many postsecondary education institutions, and it is likely to become more common in the future. (SLD)