Distance education is increasingly ubiquitous. In a 2002 report, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) reported that 1,979 institutions of higher education offered some form of distance learning courses or programs. This represents 35% of all regionally and/or nationally accredited institutions in the U.S. Many more courses and programs are offered through nonaccredited institutions. Distance learning is changing the educational landscape and opportunities as well as changing how learning happens. Indeed, the technology that makes modern-day distance learning possible is also changing so-called "traditional" classroom instruction. The latter now routinely incorporates elements of distance learning such as electronic communication (email, websites) and virtual classrooms (chat rooms, bulletin boards).