Discusses the meaning and benefits of collaboration and how to determine if a program's policies and standards reflect and reinforce the value of collaboration. Offers strategies for building and sustaining collaborative relationships with families and for supporting the collaborative efforts of teaching staff. (TJQ)

For most distance education (DE) systems, distance, time, and/or opportunity isolate learners from their teacher and their fellow students. To facilitate interaction, most DE systems include different types of support groups. Modern technology allows groups to interact effectively even though individuals are far apart. Technology may appear to be…