Application of Digital Technology in Open and Distance Education

Digital technologies have fostered a rapid expansion in recent years, distance education is a form of education in which students are separated from their instructors by time and/or space. Distance education is utilized in some form at every level of the educational spectrum, with the most extensive use in higher education. An individual course may contain both classroom and distance education components. In this paper, we analyze the development of digital technology, discuss the application of digital technology in open and distance education. Digital technology is used extensively for varied purposes and in varied ways, depending on the intended audience for the course, and the availability and cost of the technology. The capabilities of the new technologies have made possible a more interactive experience that more closely parallels face-to-face teaching which in effect creating a virtual classroom. They have also made distance education courses more convenient and better suited to the needs of different students, including by providing the benefits of both synchronous and asynchronous methods.