Introduction

It is with considerable ambivalence that we introduce the topic of distance education. The ambivalence is not because we doubt the potential of distance education to improve, or even to revolutionize education. It is certainly not because we fear that distance education is in danger of public rejection and eventual abandonment. Rather, we believe strongly that distance education, specifically Web-based distance education, is the single most promising educational innovation of our lifetime. Further, we feel sure it will continue its current spectacular growth in both popularity and availability, and that future growth will involve nearly every imaginable level and type of schooling.