ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Distance learning represents the most dynamic sector of higher education, particularly in the United States where World Wide Web (WWW)-based electronic delivery is fast becoming a dominant mode of instruction. Th is trend will almost certainly apply around the world. Other forms of distance learning persist, of course. Turkey’s Anadolu University (according to the World Bank, the largest university in the world) enrolls more than 500,000 students, mostly through correspondence. Th e same is true for the United Kingdom Open University (UKOU) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), both of which are still heavily dependent on correspondence study. However, at the moment, there can be no question that computer-mediated asynchronous distance learning is the medium of choice in the development of new academic courses and programs delivered at a distance.
