Revision with unchanged content. Distance education has been growing considerably in higher education and with the growth of students taking online courses, there has been rising concern about the quality of online instruction. Evidence of the concern for quality of instruction is seen through indicators including college rankings, media ratings, accreditation criteria, publications of higher education associations, and state laws that mandate assessment at universities. This book discusses the history of distance education, the demand for quality, growth of online courses, and a research study that addresses the quality of online instruction. Are online courses percieved to be of high quality? Do instructors and students in the same class percieve the quality the same or different? The book is addressed to professionals in Higher Education like Faculty Members, Deans, Department Chairs and Administrators. It is also directed towards researchers in distance education and online instruction.