The history and philosophy of the free university, defined as an organization that offers noncredit classes to the general public in which "anyone can teach and anyone can learn," is explored. Offered is practical advice for starting a free university center or exchange and ensuring its success. Three contemporary versions of free…

At the Open University of Great Britain, certain problems are created by the school's heavy reliance on radio and television broadcasts as a mode of instruction. Students have difficulty: 1) integrating the broadcast with the rest of the course; 2) recognizing the purpose of the broadcast; 3) knowing what to do with the results of the broadcast;…

The Open University (OU), an advanced multimedia instructional system, was established by the British government to provide university and professional education to those with the ability to continue their education by study in their own time, and particularly to those who could not otherwise obtain education at a university. This overview…

An experimental program at Sheffield University, Britain, was designed to attract more "minimally qualified" students into the Open University and to test group admission to undergraduate studies. Most of the students would not normally have considered applying to the Open University. Ten of the 11 students passed. (SW)

Presents distance learning as a possible solution to augment the content area knowledge of teachers that will be teaching coordinated science and discusses some of the problems inherent in such an approach. Outlines how the Physics for Science Teachers Project at Open University is seeking to address these problems. (CW)

Describes the distance education program at Anadolu University in Turkey and compares its problems and solutions with similar distance programs in other Asian countries. A brief history is presented, enrollment figures are given, and future directions are described. (Author/LRW)

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…

Results of a survey of new and experienced part-time faculty at Britain's Open University concerning their attitudes toward learning teaching skills on the job give insights into the teachers' self-confidence and attitudes about their work. (MSE)

The use of audiocassettes for teaching a distance education course in ancient Roman history is examined, focusing on the general and course-specific advantages of recordings in conjunction with reading assignments for developing reading and listening skills, and students' reactions to the materials and format. (MSE)

Describes a study of differences in reported symptoms of psychological well-being and academic attainment among United Kingdom Open University distance learners aged under 30, 30-40, and over 40. Results indicate several factors combine to affect academic performance of different age groups, but students over 40 exhibited greater sense of…

A survey of older adult students at Britain's Open University to learn their characteristics, motivation, expectation, and attitudes about the institution is summarized. Results show that although most adapt well to distance education, certain factors such as cost and examinations are of concern to the students. (MSE)

First-generation Distance Education (DE) was characterized by the use of a single technology (correspondence instruction) and lack of direct interaction between students and teachers. In second-generation DE, integrated multiple media permitted two-way communication between students and tutors, but not between students and the originators of…

The British Columbia Open University (BCOU) offers distance courses in a variety of disciplines. This study presents demographic and academic profiles of two types of BC transfer students: (1) Non-resident students known as University Access and Transfer (UAT) students registered in a BCOU Degree Program in 1999; and (2) Resident students, or…

The European project, UNIVERSAL--Universal Exchange for Pan-European Higher Education, is an attempt to demonstrate an open exchange of learning resources (LRs) between higher education institutions across Europe. The goal is to create and manage an open market of learning resources by introducing a brokerage platform with a standard way of…

Open and distance learning is seen as a viable alternative to provide education for all, particularly in the context of developing countries. Open learning is basically a philosophy, while distance learning is a method of flexible education for the unreached, i.e., socially, economically, physically, and geographically disadvantaged groups of the…