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)

This report discusses briefly the concept of open education and its application at the college and university level. Efforts already underway in the United States and abroad are covered in two appendices. Four models of open universities are described in some detail. One model is based on the extension of community college activities. The second…

An examination of Britain's Open University in light of its success which proves some past educational assumptions false and poses challenges for future educational development. (HB)

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)

Interest in the establishment of external degree programs and programs for off-campus higher education has been accelerated throughout the country by the recognition of the need for new approaches to the extension and improvement of higher education opportunity and for ways of reducing the cost of education to both students and taxpayers. State…

This is a publication of a 3-year Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications project, "Balancing Quality and Access: Reducing State Policy Barriers to Electronically Delivered Higher Education Programs," designed to foster an interstate environment that encourages the interstate electronic delivery of quality higher education…

Teaching functions for which television, radio, and audiocassettes are particularly appropriate are considered, based on the use of broadcasting at the Open University. Television is useful for the following purposes: to demonstrate experiments or experimental situations; to illustrate principles involving dynamic change or movement; to illustrate…

Courses undertaken by associate students at the Open University are not necessarily part of a degree program but may meet professional continuing educational needs or involve undergraduate level preparation. A counselor's notes describe advisory and counseling support provided to associate students. (SW)

This publication is one of a series designed as a companion to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)'s fact book, "Policy Indicators for Higher Education: WICHE States." The title article maintains that the growth of distance learning programs has heightened existing concerns about their quality. Institutions can…

A form used in Britain's Open University for teachers to criticize team-developed courses has been improved to allow for more constructive comments, more two-way communication, and continual course improvement. (MSE)

The information systems of nontraditional education are examined. Case studies illustrate the variation in nontraditional programs: Open University of Pennsylvania, British Open University, Prince George's County Library (Maryland), University Without Walls--Skidmore, Empire State College--Saratoga, Minnesota Metropolitan State College, and…

This pamphlet is intended to assist the consumer in making informed decisions when choosing between distance learning programs. Distance education and distance learners are defined. Included is advice on beginning a program search; choosing a school; accreditation; evaluating quality of electronically offered programs; evaluate non-accredited…

This project was designed to increase student access by addressing Western states' regulations on higher education programs delivered electronically across state lines, and to develop and get region-wide agreement on basic quality standards for distance education programs. The project achieved agreement on a set of "Principles of Good…

The problem of finding an adequate organization for the distance teaching subsystem in the Open University of Venezuela (Universidad Nacional Abierta) is analyzed. Problems facing this subsystem concern: communications with the headquarters and within the learning centers network, interaction with the environment in order to create a favorable…