Distance education has emerged as a viable alternative for providing educational opportunities to working health professionals Flexibility in scheduling, elimination of travel expenses, and improved access to the Internet are attracting students who might not otherwise be engaged in lifelong learning activities. Distance education presents new challenges in continuing education for both instructors and students. Instructors must develop innovative teaching strategies for learners who are not physically present, and students must modify their learning behaviors to engage in and absorb the course material. Studies have shown that the teaching environment, be it classroom or distance education, does not influence learning outcomes and knowledge retention as evidenced by examination and course grades Most of the research in this area has focused on comparing distance education with traditional classroom courses in an academic setting. This study will present data comparing distance education and classroom presentation in the context of professional continuing education (CE). Specifically, the authors will examine issues pertaining to knowledge retention as tested through a post-course questionnaire.

The distance-education students had ample time to read the course material and practice their skills, module by module. Because they were also working while engaged in the course, they had time to assimilate the information into their library services and validate its usefulness before tackling the next step. These students reported that the course took on average about thirty hours to complete. In contrast, the classroom students were given only eight hours to understand all the concepts, and practice was limited to working within