Distance Learning and Online Learning: A Preferred Approach to Higher Education

Higher education is pivotal not only for economic progress and prosperity, but also for individual propensity to self-actualization. The normal route used in education is face-to-face learning, but some circumstances may force people to adapt to distance learning to achieve their goals. This study has sought to distinguish distance education from formal education, identify models applicable to distance education, ascertain the benefits of distance education, and identify suitable technology for distance education. A cross-sectional literature review was carried out using search engines such as Masader, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. The literature revealed that distance education has been practiced for several decades and recent developments such as stiff competition, globalization, technology, and natural disasters have left institutions with no choice but to adopt distance education as part of its curriculum. Some of the models identified were individual correspondence, group correspondence, and parallel learning. The authors recommend that institutions embark on a needs-based assessment, to establish target markets and identify appropriate technologies suitable for their chosen distance education models.