Brey's (1991) report of U.S. postsecondary distance learning
programs predicted that the decade of the 1990's would see such
phenomenal growth in distance education programs that most
people in the United States would be served by at least one
program. Much of this growth is expected to take place in the
community colleges. As of 1994, 80% of community colleges in the
United States offered some form of distance education program,
and that percentage and the extent of their involvement are
expected to increase throughout the decade. This digest will
discuss several aspects of distance education in community
colleges including the technologies utilized, characteristics of
distance learners, and the issues surrounding the application of
technology as a form of instructional delivery. Technologies
Involved in Distance Education There are two primary forms of
communication utilized to deliver instruction--synchronous and
asynchronous. The main distinction between the two is whether
teachers and learners are partic