The main motive  of  distance education has always used the prevalent communication technologies of the time to reach students, never has the use been so widespread and effective as it has been with the advent of the World Wide Web.Only Internet has made it possible for students to attend lectures sitting at home in front of their PCs via video conferencing and other internet tools. It has thrown up novel ways of classroom interaction  from online discussion boards and chat rooms for students to participate in group discussions to bulletin boards and forums where they can post their queries or answer questions posed by instructors.

While some of the  online distance education courses require students to spend a part of their time on campus,but sometimes  others may not need any classroom attendance whatsoever. The teaching methods can vary from university to university, but the common thread remains the generous use of technology in imparting high quality education.

According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 75 percent of the institutions offering college-level distance learning courses cited using asynchronous Internet-based technologies to a large extent for the delivery of education to its students. Only eight percent of institutions reported using mostly print-based documents as the means of instruction.If distance education was God sent for some 19th century Americans, it is a boon for many of our rural population. It offers them a chance to enhance their skills from anywhere, at anytime, on their own schedule, and at their own pace. With no overhead costs like car and fuel for commuting to college or a dorm for lodging, distance education also turns out to be a more affordable option for many families.