The integration of some form of online learning in higher education and its adoption in distance and continuing education has increased exponentially in the last decade. This growth has been consistent in different parts of the world, although its implementation in mainstream educational systems varies according to the economic development of the region. But what is ‘online learning’ and why is it used as a synonym of distance education? This article presents a review that goes through the last 10 years of literature on online learning. It presents the definitions by different authors, and describes its evolution, characteristics, benefits, and use and implementation in education and training. The review concludes with a summary of the development of online learning in Latin America
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