Chapter 11: Examining The Use of Learning Communities to Increase Motivation

Distance education provides for ubiquitous and flexible learning opportunities, and many universities are turning toward this delivery system to address the needs of local and commuter students. In a U.S. Department of Education survey (1997-1998), 20% of the respondents—990 postsecondary institutions—reported that within 3 years they planned to join the 1,680 schools offering online distance education courses (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000). In a speech to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), Cornelia M. Ashby (2002), director of education, workforce, and income security issues, stated that “Overall, about 1.5 million out of 19 million postsecondary students took at least one distance education course in the 1999-2000 school year” (p. 3). Ashby also noted that by 2002, more than 84% of four-year institutions were offering distance education courses. By most accounts, these numbers will continue to rise. For example, the University of Phoenix, the nation’s largest private online college, is averaging more than 500 new students a month and has “pulled off the rarest of feats: Its stock has skyrocketed,” hitting all-time highs, “despite the worst tech-stock bear market in history” (Symonds, 2003, p. 1).