Whoever said "Distance education begins in the 10th row" was taking a jab at the comatose kids at the back of his classroom, but the comment also taps into the old image of distance learners as disengaged themselves. That was then. Today, distance-learning programs are booming, in part due to demographic realities but also because recent advances in online technologies have markedly improved the distance-learning experience. What once was the province of isolated students in far-off outposts has morphed into learning systems that are increasingly seen not only as a rival to face-to-face instruction but also as a valuable complement. Indeed, the time has probably come to retire the term "distance learning." Today, online courses are, in some cases, as relevant to students living on campus as they are to learners in remote locations. And for those students not on campus, the appeal of online learning has as much to do with scheduling as it does with distance. The majority of online learners today are not traditional college-age students--they work, have families--and flexibility is of paramount importance. (Contains 1 online resource.)