A form used in Britain's Open University for teachers to criticize team-developed courses has been improved to allow for more constructive comments, more two-way communication, and continual course improvement. (MSE)

A Consultancy Service was established by the Open University to deal with foreign requests for advice on the creation and development of distance learning systems. The approach to training courses is described along with examples of courses under development. (LBH)

Describes the planning of the Al-Quds Open University (Jordan) and the problems accompanying the plan's implementation. Discusses the rationale behind choosing of educational media and planning and designing courses. Addresses the need to collaborate with conventional educational institutions to provide higher education for the maximum number of…

Describes a study of eight universities in England that investigated the size and characteristics of their part-time degree programs. Highlights include government policy; cost; competition between universities; admissions policies; completion rate and drop-out rate; instructional design, including modularity; continuing education; and program…

Describes the design of a prototypical computer-mediated communication (CMC) system at the Open University of the Netherlands called StudieNet which focuses on a single mathematics course. The concept of the integrated study environment used in StudieNet is explained, StudieNet functions are compared with the nonautomated course, and how the…

Begins with a tribute to Professor G. Ram Reddy (founder of Indira Gandhi National Open University), then focuses on enhancing the role of open universities in providing borderless distance education. Highlights include the need for open distance-education; philosophy and vision; the distance teaching system; the role of information technology;…

Discusses the adoption of online instruction for distance education in the context of the Open University of Hong Kong. Academic and non-academic services that can be offered online are described. The importance and benefits of instituting electronic tutorials are addressed, including time savings, peer interactivity, and student/tutor…

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…

Purpose: To share the experiences and challenges faced by the Open University Library (OUL) in developing a content management (CM) system for its subject guides. Design/methodology/approach: A summary of multi-format subject guide production at the OUL is provided to justify the decision to develop a new system for their production using a…

Educational professional development is a global concern. It is often characterised by event-delivery methods, though there are signs that other approaches are gaining favour. The authors stress the significance of non-formal learning, and the ways in which it can be promoted and enhanced within the activity systems within which teachers in higher…

The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) is a distance education university with about 22,500 students. In fulfilling its mission, the university has adopted various Web-based and electronic means to support distance learning. For instance, OUHK uses a Web-based course management system (CMS) to provide students with a flexible way to obtain course…

This study investigated the kinds of dialogic behavior engaged in by students while studying a difficult physics course at the Open University, UK. Research objectives were twofold: (1) to document what dialogue types, mediated through which resources, were utilized by students to overcome conceptual difficulties that emerged while reading the…

The articles contained in this report represent a diverse collection of pedagogical issues involved in teacher training at a distance in countries throughout the world. Distance education offers pre-service and in-service teachers with both skills training and an opportunity to complete teacher training programs or degrees. The proliferation of…

The advent of many new technologies to make access to education and open learning more and more possible requires parallel developments in instruction to support and serve the student better. There are three aspects of student support: pre-enrollment, tutorial services, and counseling and advising services. However, the developments in technology…

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…