Who could doubt that distance learning, in the multiple forms it takes today, is the hottest and most controversial issue in American higher education? Hardly any issue of any higher education journal or newsletter is published that doesn’t contain at least one article on the topic of distance learning or educational technology. You are bombarded constantly with messages heralding the technological revolution that is occurring on campuses across the country. As teachers, you are warned that if you don’t "get with the program" our institutions will suffer and our jobs will be lost to more technologically, bottom-line oriented organizations.

Technological advancement has made education readily available for everyone regardless of the one’s location. The acceleration in distance education brought on by the development of sophisticated computer network tools is making noise as a variety of challenges stare distance educators and students.

Distance learning has been around for quite some time now. Early online courses using email were rapidly followed by web-based instruction. Today, the lines are blurred between different types of distance learning courses as multiple modes of delivery are employed in a single course. For example, a class "library" could be a website; class discussions could take place using email; some course content could be delivered using printed materials and television; and the final activity could be a place-bound proctored exam.

Increasing access to more students is a common reason for providing instruction in a distance learning format. However, these access arguments usually focus on people separated by distance and time and rarely include consideration of the needs of people with disabilities. In fact, the design of many distance learning courses erects barriers to the full participation of students and instructors with some types of disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 mandates that no otherwise qualified individuals shall, solely by reason of their disabilities, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in public programs. The ADA does not specifically mention online courses, but the United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights have clarified that the ADA applies to Internet-based programs and services. Clearly, distance learning programs must make their offerings available to qualified people with disabilities.

Thinking of enrolling online for a course or two but having doubts? Here are some questions that will serve as your guide when making this decision.

• In a 1999 survey of American students conducted by the Center of Academic Integrity at Duke University, 68% of the 2,100 students polled said that they had committed at least one academic offence such as plagiarizing.
• Larry McKill, the Associate Dean of Arts, Student Programs at the University of Alberta, estimates about 70 people were proven to have plagiarized during the academic year 2000 in the You of Arts.
• During the same year, at the University of Ottawa, 18 students in the you of arts and sciences were disciplined for plagiarism; Carleton University reported 50 cases of plagiarism; and at the University of Toronto over 200 cases of plagiarism are reported each year.
• Most university administrators believe that the number of unreported cases of plagiarism far exceeds reported numbers.