Other forms: distance learners
Distance learner refers to someone who is studying a subject with professional help, but without being in an actual classroom. This could be anything from getting an entire college degree to taking a short knitting course.
It's been possible to be a distance learner for a long time, but until the Internet, it was usually done by mail in what was called a correspondence course. Now that online learning is possible, there's been a large increase in the type and amount of education available from far away. There are now many distance learners, and having a term to describe them is helpful for studying and discussing the unique challenges that this format presents.