Although many people think it is a modern phenomenon, distance learning has been around for at least 200 years in one form or another. Historical examples of long-distance learning include students being sent a series of weekly lessons by post. The technological advances of the past 20 or so years, however, have meant that this form of education is now able to rival face-to-face learning as a credible alternative. Indeed, 1996 saw the establishment of the world’s first ‘virtual university’ in the United States, showing how far distance learning has come in a relatively short space of time.