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…

An investigation of the phenomenon of open education (OE) was based on three questions. To answer why OE has received so much attention, researchers surveyed and analyzed arguments that influenced thinking about OE and establishment of OE institutes. To answer the question concerning the defining characteristics of OE, researchers took the…

Based on a November 1990 seminar attended by tutors and development workers from Open College Network (OCN) accredited programs, this paper describes principles and practice of assessment in OCN programs in Britain. The first two sections provide information on the seminar and define assessment. Section 3 lists assessment procedures for…

The purpose of this project is to investigate the potential of communication networks using electronic mail, computer conferencing, and electronic databases for education and training at a distance within the Open Univeristy system of Great Britain, although it would be applicable within other contexts. This report discusses (1) the rationale for…

Publications in the fields of educational science, organization theory, and project management were analyzed to identify the possibilities that modularization offers to institutions of higher professional education and to obtain background information for use in developing a method for modularization in higher professional education. It was…

Based on an extensive literature search and interviews with educators, government officials, distance education personnel, and students, this publication reviews the impact of geostationary satellite telecommunications technology on higher education in British Columbia. A systems impact perspective is taken which suggests the emergence of a new…

A generalized procedure for interrelating possible research activities and decisions over the life of a course is proposed. The main levels at which research can contribute to the evaluation are discussed, and data are presented in relation to one particular program: the Social Science foundation course at the Open University. (Author/LBH)

The at-risk and dropout student population at the Open University was examined in a student survey. This article deals with a descriptive model of progress and withdrawal, student motivation, stages of adult development, previous educational background, interplay of characteristics and circumstances, and educational self-concept. (LBH)

Although extensive research has been carried out, describing the role of feedback in education, and many theoretical models are yet available, procedures and guidelines for actually designing and implementing feedback in practice have remained scarce so far. This explorative study presents a preliminary six-phase design model for feedback…

Focusing primarily on educational television, the use of various media in open universities and distance education settings is examined in order to determine whether particular conditions must be met for the successful use of the particular medium or media in collaborative projects. It is noted that there is no logical, step-by-step procedure for…

This paper describes the aims, organization, and outcomes of a technology assessment activity that was part of a summer school for an undergraduate interdisciplinary women's studies course at the Open University of Great Britain. Entitled "The Changing Experience of Women," the course contained a technology assessment module for the…

This paper looks at how the concept of reusability has gained currency in e-learning. Initial attention was focused on reuse of content, but recently attention has focused on reusable software tools and reusable activity structures. The former has led to the proposal of service-oriented architectures, and the latter has seen the development of the…

The Triad Perspective Model of Distance Education (TPMDE) guides researchers in developing research questions, gathering data, and producing a comprehensive description of a distance education program. It was developed around three theoretical perspectives: (1) curriculum development theory (Tyler's four questions, 1949); (2) systems theory…

The purpose of this paper is to give those who work in distance education a better awareness of the factors at work in developing nations and to help those whose profession is national development gain a fuller understanding of distance education. It begins with a discussion of the process of national development which focuses on the factors that…

A model is presented for response to evaluating instruction in a university based on the teaching-at-a-distance concept. Technically appropriate and operationally viable, this model is applied to the National Open University of Venezuela (UNA). The model is based on two principles of educational evaluation: (1) the concept of evaluation as a…