Revised Definition

In my current course Foundations of Online Learning, I have learned that distance learning is defined as “institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors” (Simonson et al, p. 32).  In expanding into this scholarly definition of what distance learning means, my institution is Walden University whose physical campus is located in Minnesota, USA.  As a student, I reside in New York State and although I am physically separated from the campus and my peers, we are connected in our learning as we are registered to take the same course, we interactively communicate by the use of our computers as we have daily access to resources like email, websites, chat rooms, streaming video and web-conferencing have all been used in distance learning.