THE CHALLENGES OF ASIAN DISTANCE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Distance education systems make global educational more accessible for an increasing number of students. Distance education, which offers the conveniences of flexible time and place for study, can allow many students from different societies and cultures-regardless of race, gender, age, and nationality differences-to have equal opportunities. Nevertheless, there are still many challenges and limitations that a global distance education system has to overcome. The discussion in this paper is focused on differences between the East and the West. The writer suggests that primary issues to consider in order to develop a global distance learning system are: assuring consistent educational quality, gaining confidence in social perceptions, accommodating diverse learning/teaching styles, and creative approaches to accommodating language differences.