Designed to provide instructional technologists, policy makers, and administrators with an overview of the basic principles of distance education, this booklet comprises eight chapters: (1) Introduction; (2) A Selective History; (3) Components of Distance Education Systems; (4) Organizational Options; (5) Instructional Technologists and Staffing for Distance Education; (6) Economics of Distance Education; (7) Distance Education at Home and Abroad (describing selected examples of distance education projects); and (8) Present Issues in Distance Education (including political, legal, and regulatory problems; research and development; new applications; and organization and leadership). A list of abbreviations and acronyms, a bibliography containing 21 references, and a list of general references to centers of activity in distance education are provided. (GL)