Wawasan Open University (WOU) provides working Malaysians access to quality higher education via Open Distance Learning (ODL). As admission of students involves students from diverse backgrounds, including diversity of ability, age groups and educational backgrounds, WOU faces the real challenge of effectively engaging and supporting these…

This report is the culmination of the "Flexible Pedagogies: Preparing for the Future" series of reports which have considered flexible learning from a range of perspectives. The report proposes fifteen conditions of flexibility to inject new thinking and new practices into an emerging new age. Flexible provision has the potential to…

The cell phone, now the most widely used medium in Asia, has major educational implications. Most users, however, do not realize the cell phone's potential for education, nor even for the communication functions for which it was originally designed. Most educators still see the computer and the cell phone as unrelated devices, and the tiny cell…

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…

A differential fee policy was adopted at the Open Learning Institute (OLI) of Hong Kong after a process of conceptualization, planning, proposal, approval and implementation. Under the differential fee policy different tuition rates were charged for different courses. The differential fee policy was conceptualized at OLI based on economics,…

The evaluation of distance education courses at the FernUniversitat was an important focus of interest during the initial stages of its development (1974-1980), when courses were being developed for five major departments and the number of students enrolled was increasing rapidly. Since teaching began immediately, a formative evaluation approach…

A program designed to educate Open University students in Yorkshire in the use of videotape equipment for their extension courses has resulted in an unusually high rate of equipment use, especially among advanced students. Probable success factors are outlined. (MSE)

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…

This paper explains the effectiveness of distance teaching in Sri Lanka and shows the importance of face-to-face components in distance learning to meet the needs of students and resources. Distance education in the Third World and the current status of distance education at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) are described, and the…

The Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (OLI) provides first degree courses to local residents over the age of 18 by distance education. Distance education is characterized by its urban quality, where "distance" is more often social than geographic. Hong Kong is highly organized and compact with an efficient public transportation…

Describes philosophy behind development of British Open University's course "Education for Adults," which emphasizes adult learner independence and autonomy and implements an andragogical approach within a distance teaching system. Significance of evaluation data from the course and the challenge presented to designers of courses are…

A discussion of the need for feedback on course quality focuses on feedback needs once the courses have been used once or more and no longer need initial evaluation. This is termed the maintenance phase of course production. Three central questions are addressed. The first asks why feedback is needed at all, and it is proposed that it is to…

Open University faculty create their own instructional materials for use in distance teaching. A methodology is described for evaluating the teaching effectiveness of the materials and the teaching methods used. It is applied to a unit of a materials science course written for a specific text. A small group of students in the course was surveyed…

A regional program of pre-university courses in northwestern England open to adults with no entry qualifications is discussed. It uses some distance learning techniques but is investigating expansion to technical education through distance learning. The complexities and potential costs of such a substantial directional change are examined. (MSE)

Discusses the results of an interview survey of 21 students enrolled in an Open University (Great Britain) course with a resource-based structure. The study examined use of CD-ROM materials, use of computer-mediated-communication as an information source, use of the Internet, and attitudes toward resource-based learning. (PEN)