Common Metaphors and Their Impact on Distance Education: What They Tell Us and What They Hide

This article explores some of the common metaphors used to illuminate the Web and its application to distance education. Using the work of Lakoff and Johnson (1980) as a foundation for understanding and categorizing metaphors, the advantages and disadvantages for our future of such metaphors as the “Web,” “Information Highway,” “virtual,” “surfing,” “information as education,” and “distance education” are evaluated.