Distant learning: Open challenges and evolution

Abstract

The evolution of Information and Communication Technologies has changed the learning sector by stimulating the development of distant learning based approaches (electronic, mobile, ubiquitous and blended learning). Distant learning consists of delivering lessons remotely without a face-to-face contact between a teacher and the learners. It produces many changes to conventional learning in classroom. The paper discusses the open challenges in distant learning by classifying them in the perspective of actors involved in: Teacher, institution and learner. A discussion on the evolution of the different distant learning approaches is also provided in the paper. Technologies, characteristics, advantages and limitations of each approach have been analysed. By considering future perspectives, the analysis of the literature underlines the need (i) to support distant learning with multimodal interaction facilities and (ii) to test the learning opportunities offered by other channels of communication such as digital cable, satellite and web TV although with significant differences in targets involvement (in relation to age, status, etc).