British students 60 years and older in 1985-86 were studied in order to learn about their age, sex, marital status, employment background, the subjects they study, their reasons for studying, how they study, and what they think about their studies. Considered by the researchers to be the largest survey of older students, the study involved 2,254…

Pointing out that the term "videotex" is a general term covering three types of videotex systems, i.e., teletext, viewdata, and cable text, this paper briefly describes such systems and notes that their future depends on social acceptance and permeation as well as government regulations. The difficulties for international videotex…

The report describes field testing of an open collge project designed to adapt a collge-level media course for 19 homebound visually impaired, hearing impaired, and orthopedically disabled students. Student recruitment procedures and problems are described, as are staffing patterns of the project. Adaptation of the course, "The Art of Being…

The problem of finding an adequate organization for the distance teaching subsystem in the Open University of Venezuela (Universidad Nacional Abierta) is analyzed. Problems facing this subsystem concern: communications with the headquarters and within the learning centers network, interaction with the environment in order to create a favorable…

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)