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…

Describes three methods for offering practical work for external science courses: residential sessions on campus, local centers, and use of home laboratory kits. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed and examples of each in operation are given. A 21-item bibliography is provided. (EAO)

Financial and other support services for undergraduate students in West Germany's Fernuniversitat are compared with those of Britain's Open University and the factors influencing the problems and successes of each are discussed. These factors include administrative problems, costs, regional cooperation, and admission criteria. (MSE)

Describes the Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia's open university. Established in 1983, the university (1) provides better access to higher education, primarily for recent secondary-school graduates; (2) trains large numbers of students from culturally and economically underdeveloped areas; and (3) allows secondary-school teachers to obtain the full…

Reviews the use of computers to support distance learning in the multimedia teaching system of the British Open University from 1980-90. Topics addressed include hardware, courses using computers, software developments, the move to microcomputers, access, authoring tools, home-based computing, funding, and the outlook for the future. (15…

Open University (United Kingdom) surveyed 33 undergraduate students to determine factors which led to transfers from the Open University to other campus universities. Reasons for transfer included to speed up qualification, course availability, grants, personal reasons, costs, and university prestige. Problems and benefits of transferring to…