FROM VANCOUVER (1982) TO VIENNA (1999): DISTANCE EDUCATION TAKES A NEW COURSE

Abstract

The analysis and comparison between the papers and tendencies presented on the two ICDE Conferences of Vancouver (1982) and Vienna (1999), had made possible visualize the vigorous development and important changes of Distance Education during these seventeenth (17) years. Vienna (1999) debated the advances of some fundamental themes presented at Vancouver (1982), but in addition, also some new themes as: Globalization; Policies for Development; Virtual Learning and Virtual Universities, Developing the Company and Workforce Training of the Future, and Markets and marketing. The huge world expansion of Distance Education and the diversity of new technologies available for education, make now indispensable that existing Distance Universities or projected ones, adopt very creative structures and focus, that make possible a great flexibility and capacity to answer rapidly to this new demands and also, to make a better use of modern instruments and technologies.