Distance Learning is for leaders, practitioners, and decision makers in the fields of distance learning, e-learning, telecommunications, and related areas. It is a professional journal with applicable information for those involved with providing instruction to all kinds of learners, of all ages, using telecommunications technologies of all types. Stories are written by practitioners for practitioners with the intent of providing usable information and ideas. Articles are accepted from authors–new and experienced–with interesting and important information about the effective practice of distance teaching and learning.

This special issue of Distance Learning consists of several Ends and Means articles that I have written or coauthored and that I have organized using the three major elements of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. The last section has articles written by other authors who incorporated CoI.