Broadening Horizons through Distance Learning: New Challenges for Education in Brazil and Some Other Geographical Areas

Abstract

This article presents a brief history of distance education since its inception until present days, highlighting the correlations between that learning method and technological developments in the field of Education throughout the years. Furthermore, it aims at stressing that distance learning has always been a relevant subject in the field of education and is gaining ground all around the world once it is at the forefront of educational technology. Distance learning may enable learners to have widespread access to knowledge that they would not otherwise and, in this context, may keep alive the hope that teachers, students and educational public policies might converge so as to shape a promising future, especially in developing countries such as Brazil.