===Introduction===
Australia has internationally acknowledged reputation in distance education. It is trying to work with partner countries and other donors to build up distance education technology and capacity (Australian Government(a), 2005). According to Panda (2003, p. 64), distance education is important element of a developed nation. Australia’s distance learning institutes overview for distance education are to promote the use of distance education as a means for increasing educational access, improving equality of access and enhancing the relevance and cost-effectiveness of education opportunities (Downer, 1996).
===History of Distance Education in Queensland===
In the early twentieth century the Department of Education implemented an “itinerant teacher scheme�? (Queensland Government, 2005). This is the education method where tutors would travel and visit families with children through the rural areas, traveling on horseback, rarely more than three times in the course of a year (Queensland Government, 2005). An efficient postal system was developed in 1922 which made it possible to deliver educational materials to children all over Queensland (Queensland Government, 2005). Another service established in 1923 to 1967 was Domestic Science and Manual Arts education which used to delivered from traveling railway cars. From the 1960s and 70s School of the Air enabled children who lived in remote areas to access to lessons (Queensland Government, 2005). This scheme was delivered using HF radio and was intended to help students to interact with teachers and classmates (Queensland Government, 2005). After this, distance education dramatically improved with the appearance of the telephone which permitted regular scheduled lessons. Education via telephone provided clearer and more consistent and reliable transmission (Queensland Government, 2005). In modern days, the framework for ICT services is rapidly developing as in 2000, 97% of the population and 12.5% of the land mass in Queensland were provided with digital services (Gooley, 2003). Furthermore, the Queensland Government committed over one million dollars to provide enhanced communication medium to provide equal provision of ICTs to all students (Gooley, 2003).
===Entry requirement===
Number of entry requirements varies with the number of institutions in Australia. However, generally, institutions require senior secondary certificate of education (year 12) or an equivalent certificate from another country for admission to undergraduate distance education in Australian (Australian Government(b), 2005). In addition, admission is also possible by proving maturity, motivation, work experience in a relevant field�? (Australian Government(b), 2005). As the reputation of distance learning has improved over time, the profile of students has changed. In the 1980s, distance education students were older, and mostly part-time. However, today, the profile is of younger students who combine both full-time work and part-time work to pay for their studies (McKnight, 2003, p.379).
===Key Issues===
The participation in post-secondary education in remote and rural areas has been approximately half than that of in urban areas. This has been due partly to “distance and partly to socio-economic and cultural factors�? (Gooley, 2003). Distance learning often requires governmental co-operation. Political and social issues demand “entrepreneurial flair, inter-sector collaboration, community action and imaginative applications of ICTs�? (Gooley, 2003). Australia has been adopting new technology from the early days and, with its remoteness and huge internal distances, it is clearly heavily dependent on internal and external communications (McKnight, 2003). In spite of these advances, people in rural and remote areas still face higher costs of access and poorer levels of service than those in the major conurbations (Gooley, 2003). These are the problems that many institutions offering distance education need to address.
===Institutions offering distance education in Australia===
The Open and distance Learning Association of Australia (http://www.odlaa.org/
Centre for Learning Innovation (http://www.cli.nsw.edu.au/cli/index.shtm)
Brisbane School of Distance Education (http://www.brisbanesde.qld.edu.au/)
Deakin University (http://www.deakin.edu.au/)
IDP Education Australia (http://www.idp.com/usacanada/veterans/distanceeducation/default.asp)
===Further Information===
See Also:
• Distance Education
• Distance Education - Models
• Distance Education - Students perspective
• Distance Education - Quality
• Distance Education - Students with Special Needs
===References===
Australian Government (a): Overseas Aid (2005) “Distance Education,�? retrieved October 20, 2005, from http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/education_policy1996.pdf
Australian Government (b): Study in Australia (2005) “Distance Education,�? retrieved October 22, 2005, from http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/WhatToStudy/DistanceEd
Brisbane School of Distance Education (2004) Creating quality educational experience for our community of diverse learners, retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://www.brisbanesde.qld.edu.au/
Centre for Learning Innovation (2004) Department of Education and Training, retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://www.cli.nsw.edu.au/cli/index.shtm
Deakin University (2005) retrieved October 24, 2005 from http://www.deakin.edu.au/
Downer, A.H: Australian agency for International Development (1996) “Education and training in Australia’s aid program,�? retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://www.ausaid.gov.au/keyaid/education.cfm#top
Gooley, A: The Queensland Open Learning Network (2003) “Australia Chief Executive,�? retrieved October 22, 2005, from http://www.col.org/telecentres/chapter%2003.pdf
Idp Education Australia (2004) Australian Distance Education, retrieved October 24, 2005, from
http://www.idp.com/usa-canada/veterans/distanceeducation/default.asp
McKnight, S. (2003) “Distance Education and the Role of Academic Libraries,�? in M.G. Moore, and W.G. Anderson (ed.) Handbook of Distance Education, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp.67-78. ISBN 0-8058-3924-0
Queensland Government: Distance education in Queensland (2005) “A brief History,�? retrieved October 22, 2005, from http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/distance/queensland.html
The Open and distance Learning Association of Australia (2005) The professional association for teachers , developers, researchers, consultants and administrators invoved in open, distance, distributed and flexible learning, retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://www.odlaa.org/
===Contributors to this entry include:===
Rie Comaroff 21:43, 27 Oct 2005 (EST)
