| Technology has had a great deal of influence over | | | | All of these trends can be traced back to distance |
| education. Over 1.6 million college students (specifically | | | | learning. Higher education institutions need to take |
| community college students) enrolled in at least one | | | | action now, in order to enhance their distance |
| online course during the fall of 2002 and over | | | | education programs. |
| one-third of these same students took all of their | | | | There are ways in which schools can meet the |
| courses online. With these numbers in place and the | | | | current trends through distance education. One way |
| continued growth of student population, technology in | | | | is to provide more help through Student Services. By |
| education has become the solution for many higher | | | | encouraging the use to of help desks at schools, |
| education institutions. | | | | students will have their needs assessed and met. |
| With such an explosion of growth and need, the use | | | | Some campuses have found the creation of a |
| of technology has not always been positive. Problems | | | | centralized website for the school to be beneficial. |
| have plagued the use of technology in higher | | | | The website has given future and current students |
| education classes throughout the country. Many | | | | access to information quickly. The majority of the |
| people within the system see five major trends that | | | | states have become a part of statewide coordinating |
| will affect the future of technology/distance learning. | | | | board or consortium of distance education learning |
| The following is a list these current trends in higher | | | | programs. These boards/consortiums have provided |
| education:o Growing population of students enrolling | | | | support, financial sources, evaluation procedures, and |
| combined with inadequate infrastructure (faculty, | | | | the establishment of clear missions for distance |
| administration, buildings, etc.)o Changing student | | | | learning education courses throughout the states. All |
| needs (lack of time and need for flexibility are | | | | of these efforts work toward the goal of |
| foremost)o Instruction altered to more student | | | | implementing valid distance learning programs. |
| centered, non-linear, and self-directed (needed in | | | | The key to the future of education is online distance |
| order to meet the diverse academic needs of | | | | learning, but only if continued research and the |
| students)o Necessity of lifelong learning classeso | | | | development of quality programs persist. By |
| knowledge and competency of students in the use | | | | examining current trends, campuses will be better |
| of the Internet | | | | equipped to meet the needs of today's student. |