Describes the West Germany "Fernuniversitaet," an innovative distance education university. Organization, governance, enrollment, course content, and research activities are discussed. (SK)

This article discusses a recently developed educational alternative in the United States. This is the "university without walls," characterized by independent study combined with vocational training. (Text is in German.) (Author/AM)

Research indicates that planners of a program modeled after England's Open University must attend to individual differences much greater than those encountered in typical on-campus settings. (Author/PG)

Author believes that if the Open University continues to be successful, it can hardly fail to exert a powerful influence on the future development of higher education in Great Britain. (Author/HB)

An interview with Walter Perry, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, in which he discusses his educational philosophy. (HB)

Describes the pattern of student demand, progress and withdrawal over the first four years of the Open University in Great Britain. Appendix contains the problems inherent in comparing the Open University with other institutions. (Editor/PG)

A report from Britain's Open University that teaches students in their spare time through a mixture of television and radio, correspondence courses, summer schools and evening classes. (Editor/PG)

Presents the steps necessary for successful innovation, with emphasis on financing, selling the change to faculty, and evaluating the results. (Editor)

The experience of an open university with the uses of technology in higher education is documented. The emphasis is on its exemplary use of educational technology in context. Examination of the details of how the Open University employs media to serve a large dispersed student body may benefit others who plan to expand or modify their own uses of…

The British Open University is described in the first section of this paper as a multi-media system for teaching at a distance. Details are provided on the texts and other materials mailed to the students, the radio and television broadcasts provided by the British Broadcasting Company, and on the auxiliary sources of assistance offered to the…

This book explores the essentials of distance education and reviews issues facing large open universities (mega-universities) worldwide. It uses examples from industry and the knowledge media, to show how technology-based learning can be made attractive both to students and to institutions. The book's eight chapters, including 10 figures and 5…

This 1995 federal survey designed to provide the first nationally representative data about higher education distance education course offerings. Data were collected in fall 1995 from 2-year and 4-year higher education institutions and were weighted to provide national estimates. The study includes information about the percentage of institutions…