The College of Internet Distance Education was established in 2002 as a constituent of Assumption University of Thailand with the objective of providing opportunity for greater access to technology and thereby raising the level of education of people in all strata of Thai society.

      E-learning is “the use of the Internet and digital technologies to create experiences that educate our fellow human beings”(Horton, 2003, p.2).

      The challenge for twenty-first-century educators is to create a community of inquiry that integrate social, cognitive, and teaching characteristics in a way that will take full advantage of the unique properties of e-learning, that is independent of time and space and with the combination of interactive and reflective features which will stimulate and facilitate a level of higher-order learning unimaginable a few decades ago.

      The electronic-age view of learning is proving to be an altogether different experience. Learning can take place anywhere it is needed, typically within the work environment at the time where the need for learning manifests itself. Learning is no more a separate or cloistered event but a regular part of everyday life. Therefore, learners choose when to seek learning and what specific knowledge or skills they will acquire, and it is the learner who decides when to stop or quit.

      A large and increasing percentage of courses are delivered via the Internet. There are many reasons for this continuing growth in enrolment in e-learning courses. Some students seek out e-learning courses for the same reasons that have always motivated distance education learners, namely, demand for programming that is more accessible and convenient to meet the constraints of busy adult life and its surroundings. Moreover, certain kinds of e-learning courses can be delivered much more cost effectively than classroom-based instruction.

      Due to advancement in technologies, learning opportunities will soon be available everywhere. Learning will be almost continuous and much learning will occur during short spare moments. As e-learning technologies are simplified, more and more individuals and organizations will find ways to share their unique expertise. Everyone will become both student and teacher, and learning will be a natural part of every day experience.

      I want to invite you all to explore the new world of self-directed learning where e-learning will be the dominant technology in supporting new approaches to teaching and learning unrestricted by time or place.