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Abstract
The ‘distance’ in distance education (DE) is no longer necessarily great. DE is no longer a makeshift second best to be used only where the face‐to‐face mode is geographically impossible. The parity of esteem which the DE mode already deserves, for mature students, has not yet been achieved, but the trend is in the right direction.
The organisational structure of Deakin University [a mixed institution that teaches both on campus and off campus] is described, emphasising how intimately DE is integrated with other university functions. In comparing DE with the face‐to‐face mode, I argue that distance educators should not be too much on the defensive and list some advantages of DE.
I predict that DE will continue to rise in status and expand in scale, because of its particular suitability for adult students and because of foreseeable developments in technology, especially in microcomputers. My view is that it should regard itself not as a minor speciality but as a leading edge of progress for higher education as a whole.
