Distance learning has experienced tremendous growth in popularity and acceptance in recent years. As broadband connections have become the standard and technology such as streaming video and video conferencing have become more ubiquitous, distance education has become more robust and accessible to a broader spectrum of the population. Many institutions of higher education are increasingly offering more courses online and even entire degree programs online. This rise in technology has presented not only an opportunity to deliver education to a broader audience but it has made the delivery of education much more cost effective.
Occupational training has followed in the footsteps of higher education. Corporations have long utilized learning management systems and distance learning tools to offer courses to geographically dispersed employees in a cost-effective manner. Many organizations also rely on distance or computer-based training to deliver required training for more sensitive topics such as company policy requirements and compliance training.