IntroductionDistanceEducationhascomealongwayfromitshumblebeginningsincorrespondencecoursestoanerawhenwespeakoflearnercentredvirtualuniversities.Overaperiodofonecenturyprinthasbeensupplementedfirstbyradio;laterbytelevisionandmorerecentlybytheInternetandtheWorldWideWeb.Suchgrowthwasmadepossiblebyanexponentialgrowthinelectronics.Technologicalinputsintodistanceeducationstartedwiththesimpleradioandthetransistorwhichformedthebasisforverysuccessfuldistanceprogrammesinagriculture(Radioruralforumsi