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…

The Open University is described as an independent, autonomous university which offers an opportunity for higher education to adults who could not or did not take advantage of the limited opportunity in England to enter an institution of higher education immediately on or shortly after leaving secondary school. It provides a basis for continuing…

This description of an illuminative evaluation process as a qualitative research method focuses on a study of concerns about financial constraints in the British Open University. Interviews and open-ended discussions were used to encourage participation and input by a wide variety of individuals with differing perspectives on the problem. (LRW)

The trend toward increasing the use and cost-effectiveness of off-campus, open university-style instructional programs in Australia is analyzed from the point of view of its impact on faculty welfare, curriculum reorganization, and institutional autonomy. (MSE)

Review of university provision of distance education in Asia highlights and illustrates major similarities and differences in the approaches used in different countries and institutions and compares the operations of national independent universities concerned only with external students and conventional universities which include a distance…

The pre-Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) Asian Librarians' Roundtable is the first of its kind for librarians of AAOU and other Asian distance and open education institutions to share their views on the use of the latest technology and the provision of library services to distance learners. This document describes the library services…

This study examined the qualities of good virtual teachers, investigating what aspects of teaching and learning college teachers and students considered the most important in a Web-based learning environment. Participants were teachers and students who taught or studied at Helsinki Virtual Open University from 1995-99. Respondents completed mailed…

Reviews existing programs for equal education and employment for women in Europe, including reentry to school and work, training for nontraditional fields, and management training. Discusses the role of adult educators in setting priorities, influencing policy, and obtaining funding for women's programs. (SK)

Samples of freshmen from an open, distance-learning university (n=34) and a traditional university (n=20) were interviewed about their cognitive strategies, regulation of learning, mental models of learning, affective processes concerning learning, learning orientations, and perceptions of effectiveness of instructional approaches. Four…

Observes the differences, between mentors and students, regarding the effectiveness of a mentoring program for student teachers at an English "open university." Throughout the course of the semester the students became more discerning and critical of the program. Explores related issues of mentoring and teacher education. (MJP)

Discusses the importance of higher education and the economic necessity of developing alternative pedagogical models, such as distance education. The current state of higher education in the United States is discussed as well as distance education programs in other countries, and distance learning theories are reviewed. (22 references) (LRW)

Describes efforts to utilize advances in telecommunications technology to provide distance education for tribal colleges that reflects tribal cultures. Indicates that planners have decided to establish uplinks at the colleges, instead of merely downlinks from remote sites, and that satellite technology will be utilized to reach as many…

Attempts to draw comparisons between the different ways that distance education methods have been used for postsecondary education. Emphasizes the differences in scale, curricula, teaching approaches, and resource levels at different institutions in different nations. Explores problems such as lack of discussion, inflexibility, high cost of…

Describes survey of distance education students at the Universitas Terbuka, the Open University of Indonesia, that was conducted to determine characteristics of the students and their attitudes toward distance learning. Findings related to gender, status, age, occupation, and previous qualifications are reported, and implications for third world…

This paper describes a qualitative study of asynchronous electronic conferencing by three tutorial groups on the same postgraduate course ("Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Worldwide"), forming part of an MA in Applied Linguistics (via Distance Education) at the Open University, UK. The groups varied in the degree to which…