ABSTRACT
Some institutions provide dedicated open and distance learning environments, and many around the world are devoted exclusively to distance education. Increasingly, however, and especially in the field of language teacher education, distance programs have been developed in traditional institutions as an addition to standard face-to-face programs. Establishing and maintaining a distance education operation within such an institution presents a number of difficulties and challenges, not least because most aspects of course delivery, development, assessment, record-keeping and communication conflict with systems that have been established on the assumption that students and teachers are physically present at the institution and live locally. This chapter will explore the unique features of distance learning from the administrative point of view.
