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Women in Distance Education: Overcoming Barriers to Learning

New Horizons in Adult Education, founded in 1987, is a refereed electronic journal published by Nova Southeastern University's Programs for Higher Education. The journal provides faculty, graduate students, researchers, and practitioners with a means for publishing their current thinking and research within adult education and related fields: research, thought pieces, book reviews, point-counterpoint articles, conceptual analysis, case studies, interactive articles, and invitational columns. The authors retain copyright of individual articles. Any item that appears in New Horizons in Adult Education may be retrieved without permission. However, when this material is quoted or reproduced, the author, title of the item, and issues must be cited. The journal is transmitted electronically on the Adult Education Network (AEDNET) web page Distance education has been used to add options for learners of all ages for many years, persons who because of circumstances or choice participate in some form of a distance learning program. However, with the dramatic increase in distance education programs, especially those using a range of technologies, new questions and issues have arisen for adult educators to consider. The two articles in this issue address some of these concerns and questions. Women in Distance Education: Overcoming Barriers to Learning by W. Dean Care and Sonia A. Udod provides a very good review of relevant research regarding women and distance learning. From their framework in nursing education, they discuss a range of concepts based on the experiences of women in various distance education programs and extend these ideas for consideration by all adult and higher educators. Useful curricular, structural, and teaching strategies for overcoming the learning barriers that women have found in distance education are described. Internet Courses, Mature Learners: Two Undervalued Market Segments by Elizabeth Towell and Lynn Neeley raises a number of questions regarding web instruction and adult learners, as it is currently being delivered. The authors challenge adult and higher educators to consider some ideas based on experiences from a business perspective related to innovation and " disruptive technologies. " They provide some thoughtful suggestions that may offer a unique perspective for the development and delivery of distance education programs. Adult and higher educators are encouraged to use a different paradigm to consider the needs and particular aspects of different online " markets " for distance learning offerings. Readers are invited to make these articles " interactive " by responding on AEDNET and sharing their comments. (Directions to guide this …