Distance education is on the rise. There is much that must be done to evolve this type of learning environment. I agree with the authors that more and more distance education will become prevalent in the near future. The authors agree that distance education should not simply mirror classroom education I find it amazing that one can obtain a degree by participating in course work that is presented online.
Prior to beginning Walden I was afraid to venture into the world of online learning. I often would say that online courses are not for me. I thought this because I felt as if I wasn’t capable of learning independently without the aspect of a face to face learning environment. I am now in my second quarter at Walden and surprisingly I am being successful in my course work thus far. From my experience of online education I have quickly noticed that distance education and traditional education is very different. Not only the dependency upon technology to remain connected but the student must be self-disciplined, motivated, and willing to actively participate in the learning in order for the student to obtain the maximum level within the learning environment.
I believe that in the near future that distance education will not only be offered on the collegiate level but in the k-12 arenas as well. I am excited to see what the future will hold concerning the avenue of distance education.

Resources
Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 3:K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 63-67.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Distance education: The next generation featuring Dr. Michael Simonson [Video program].
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education:
Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 1: Training and Development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70-75.
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, July/August). The evolution of distance education:
Implications for instructional design on the potential of the Web (Part 2: Higher Education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70.