distance education is…

…institutionally based formal education where the learning group is separated and where interactive communications systems are used to connect instructors, learners, and resources.

 

Yep, that pretty much sounds correct.

And lest you think I’ve come up with that astute definition on my own (as if! I’m only a second year!) here’s where you can find all the citations in APA goodness format:

Garrison, D. R., & Shale, D. G. (1987). Mapping the boundaries of distance education: Problems in defining the field [Electronic version]. American Journal of Distance Education, 1(1). Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.ajde.com/Contents/vol1_1.htm#abstracts