“By providing easy access to high quality training to all of their employees, organizations can continue to increase the knowledge base of their organization through individual learning,” said France Belanger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Information Systems at Virginia Tech and Director of the Center for Global Electronic Commerce.

“Distance learning is one means through which organizations can offer continuing training to their employees. It allows employees to take training courses without having to travel to education locations and without having to spend time away from their regular work environment,” she added.

Belanger does not foresee distance learning replacing traditional education, but rather, complementing it. “By using distance learning as an add-on to traditional classroom education or as a replacement for some courses, institutions can develop a richer overall learning environment available to a greater population base,” she said.

According to Belanger, distance learning can help reduce the “digital divide” because it provides people in remote areas or neighborhoods with access to courses. Belanger recognizes the need for computers for these courses.

“Communities must organize themselves to provide computer access to these neighborhoods,” she said. “This can be accomplished, for example, though municipal libraries that would make computers available to their communities.”