4/122.5.1.2 Place-Independent Communication
Telecommunications and the research done in CSCW make it possible to communicate and work together with people that don't necessarily have to be geographically proximate. This allows us to consult experts and peers regardless of their location. For educational purposes this means that learners who would normally not be able to attend a course, will now be able to. The reason why they cannot access location-based courses could be that they live in a remote area. They could be physically handicapped, or simply have no time to go to school. The latter is an important issue when we think about adult education where learners often work during the day, and have to stay at home in the evening because of their children.
A growing problem, especially in big cities, is the one of too much traffic and pollution. If it takes a couple of hours to reach school due to holdups, students may prefer to stay at home and attend remote courses.