One of the best aspects of distance education is the opportunity to learn from instructors all over the globe. A student from a small town doesn't have to limit himself to learning from the people who live nearby. Instead, he can learn from people all over the United States, and even the world.

Consider a recent story about distance learning from the Herald-Sun. It reports that a deployed military captain is teaching an online class while serving overseas:

"Janicki, a captain in the Air Force Reserves, has taught computer science to his North Carolina students at a distance of 7,100 miles. He is serving in Afghanistan.

He never met his American students, and some of them weren't even sure how to pronounce his name. While they slept, Janicki graded their tests or tapped out e-mails about their assignments.

Sometimes, the professor would be incommunicado. That's when the classmates -- who never met each other -- would lean on each other for advice."