Distance education and diversity: Are they compatible?

Abstract

This article argues for understanding distance education as a community of practice that must acknowledge and accommodate diversity in the context of increasing economic globalization. It asserts that any community of practice is embedded in a larger social context that influences values and practice. It also examines the historic and contemporary social, economic, and political forces that inform and influence distance education practice. This is followed by reflections on the implications for distance education practice and its current capacity to be sensitive to diversity and to meet the needs of culturally diverse learners.