The authors, library practitioners from either side of the Atlantic Ocean, embarked on a dialogue about the ethical challenges encountered in providing library services to distance learners. Unable to find an existing, appropriate ethical framework for their discussion, they agreed to devise their own, informed by relevant professional codes and…

The Open University has been working with the University of Fort Hare on its Distance Education Project since 1997, helping to develop its innovative distance education programme for primary teachers in the Eastern Cape. Recently the OU has been involved in researching the impact of this programme on teachers' perceptions of their practice and…

Reports on research that investigated characteristics of distance education programs in Germany that influenced the participation of women. Highlights include the number of women enrolled; drop-out rates; a description of the FernUniversitat, including degree programs and characteristics of the institution; and a pilot project aimed at single…

Discusses the evolution of staff development and the new Supporting Open Learners' (SOL) materials at the United Kingdom Open University. Outlines objectives of the SOL program. Discusses issues arising from use of SOL materials, including instructional attitudes; modelling good practice; developing the reflective practitioner; perceived value;…

Examines the Korean National Open University's (KNOU) four recent technology initiatives for distance education, including an online database and multimedia digital library, an integrated Web-based student support system, a videoconferencing network, and Web-based course. Suggests that it is instructional design, not technology, which is at the…

This paper focuses on the effects of social--structural factors (age, ethnicity and gender) on university students use of web-based instruction. The study uses data from registration questionnaires of students at the Open University of Israel. During the period between 1995 and 2002 there has been a continuous increase in the proportion of…

Terms such as retention and persistence reflect the interests of different parties. Much of the empirical and theoretical literature deals with retention from a "supply-side" perspective. This article has three main sections. The first consists of a summary of recent empirical findings from surveys of students who left their on-campus programmes…

In 2003-04 the Open University offered its first German beginners' course with a dual tuition strand: tutorials were delivered either face-to-face or online using synchronous, audio-graphic, Internet-based conferencing software. For the new online tutors, a special training programme was designed and delivered. We evaluated the benefits of our…

Examines the vulnerability of distance teaching universities (DTUs) around the world to competition both from campus-based universities that are initiating distance teaching and from dual mode universities that have traditionally offered a range of teaching methods. Costs are considered, and the future feasibility of single mode universities is…

Presents results of a student survey on CD-ROM-based learning at the Open University in Wales. The main objectives were to ascertain ease of CD-ROM use as perceived by students and to determine success of the learning experience. The overall student response to the 14 items on the questionnaire is given, followed by a summary of student comments…

Action research studies in the United Kingdom with Open University students have shown that students come to distance education courses with variable expectations of the levels of service and support they will receive from their tutors. It has been further suggested that a specific expectations-led quality assurance process that enables the…

The UK Open University's second-level undergraduate course "Death and Dying" (K260) draws on personal and professional experience to explore the issues of loss, care, ethical practice, communication and grief. Students come from diverse occupational backgrounds (nurses, social workers, medical practitioners) but many study K260 for…

Describes the distance mode of delivery in higher education practiced at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT). Highlights some of the distinctive features of the system and the main problems identified during interviews with twelve students, eight full-time academic members of staff, and seven managers of OUT. Concludes with suggestions for…

Describes a study of eight universities in England that investigated the size and characteristics of their part-time degree programs. Highlights include government policy; cost; competition between universities; admissions policies; completion rate and drop-out rate; instructional design, including modularity; continuing education; and program…

The article describes a research project undertaken with advanced adult learners of German at a distance at The Open University, United Kingdom. Their gains in intercultural competence were investigated by looking at how far the students met the prescribed learning outcomes, their knowledge items, language skills, attitudes towards Germans and…