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…

Describes Pakistan's Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), which reaches a mass student population through correspondence study, radio and television, tutorials, and course assignments. Descriptions of AIOU's course offerings, teaching methods, organization and administration, and an assessment of services are provided. (Contains 13 references.)…

Analyzes the historical development of the six City University of New York (CUNY) community colleges. Reports that, as nontraditional institutions noted for their responsiveness to student needs, they face an uncertain future as a result of current contention over their open admissions policy and their roles as urban public universities. Contains…

Focuses on quality assurance in open and distance education. Discusses making use of new technologies in ways besides the simple transfer of content; establishing systems of quality assurance and control tailored to universities' needs; four broad principles for developing distance education policies and procedures; and managing change. (AEF)

This paper describes how information and communication technology (ICT) is used in the modular Open University course "T209 Information and Communication Technologies: People and Interactions", first presented in 2002. In this course ICT is used to provide students with practical experience and to support an active and collaborative approach to…

Distance Learning Providers serve large populations of learners, frequently offering the same course to different groups of learners over lengthy periods of time. This article argues that (re-) running e-learning courses with different combinations of learners and staff requires a distinction between abstract representations of courses and…

Factors related to students' selection of Internet-assisted vs. traditional distance learning environments (IDL vs. TDL) at the Open University of Israel were investigated. The two groups differed in their demographic variables, academic achievements and value priorities. The IDL group had a higher percentage of males, and a different age…