By Ugwuidu, Bernadine Uchenna
Distance Education (DE) according to Holmberg (1989:12), covers the various forms of the study at all levels which are not under the immediate supervision of the tutors (with the learners in lecture rooms or on the same premises) but which nevertheless, benefit from planning, guidance and teaching of supporting organization.
Moore (1985:21), on the other hand defines DE as a family of instructional methods in which the teaching behaviours are executed apart from the learning behaviours. He adds that DE includes those educational activities that in a contiguous situation would be performed in the learner’s presence, so that communication between the facilitators and the learners must be facilitated by print, electronic, mechanical and other devices.
Every educational endeavour, according to Lehner (1989:14), such as DE, has the purpose of widening of consciousness and liberation from restriction in the cognitive and emotional fields. This opening of the mind has consequences from the understanding conditions in the external objective world for acquisition of knowledge and for subjective development. New social circumstances, economic efficiency and democracy cannot develop without people.