A Review on Elements for Successful Distance Learning in Higher Education

Enrollment into tertiary education has increased over the years. Most applicants are not able to secure admissions into tertiary institutions. These institutions are under pressure since the infrastructure cannot support the increasing number of students they enroll. The strategy therefore is to adopt distance learning to enable them increase intake and at the same time ensure that the pressure on exerted on the physical infrastructure is minimised. To be able to deliver effective distance learning, there is the need for institutional collaboration. This is study reviews literature on the elements for a successful distance learning, a brief history on distance education, and assumptions of distance education. The concludes that for any institution to develop an effective distance learning program there must be leadership, institutional commitment, faculty commitment, instructional design, distance learning technologies, learner characteristics, and evaluation.