Today's economy demands a much greater commitment to adult vocational training. Both conventional British universities and the Open University serve this need, but there are areas where more needs to be done. Commitment of substantial resources is necessary and this probably cannot be achieved from fee income alone. (Author/MSE)

The American Open University idea was conceived as a logical follow-up to the University of Mid-America which had started in Nebraska, spread to a large geographic region, and began to market its media materials to colleges and universities throughout the nation. (Availability: Open University, 70 Manchester Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester,…

The Open University set out ten years ago to solve the problem of dropouts in external degree programs. The importance of its success for itself and other institutions is discussed, although there is caution due to the lack of unanimity in terminology in dropout research, and the danger of using dropouts to compare institutions. (MSE)

The open university teaching system is grounded in an inappropriate theory of learning, with too much emphasis placed on the didactic approach to the presentation of knowledge and the student's ability to memorize it. Andragogic and pedagogic perspectives should be combined in designing courses. (MSE)

The substantial use of educational television by the Open University has not yet taken advantage of the potential for interactive learning through use of video replay. The traditional broadcast format has predominated. (MSE)

Discusses variables such as financial resources, political determinants, resistance to innovation, learning styles, student population, organizational and institutional structures, human resources, and communication, as possible factors which detain adequate development of the open university in Latin America. Nineteen references are listed.…

Describes two integrated distance learning environmental engineering degree courses offered by the environmental engineering group of the Open University in Great Britain. Discusses admission requirements for courses, advantages offered by distance learning, professional accreditation, site visits, and tutors. (AIM)

A survey based on Knowles' andragogical principles received 294 responses (45 percent) indicating that Canada's Open College students enrolled for very pragmatic reasons, were intrinsically motivated, used life experiences in assignments but could not do so in examinations, and were not interested in self-directed learning, perhaps because of time…

Twelve students writing essays for a photochemistry course at the Open University of the Netherlands received either audiocasette or written feedback. Time spent in recording versus writing feedback differed minimally. Recorded feedback was considerably greater in amount. Students' final grades did not differ, but recorded feedback was more…

A study of 14 Open University (Great Britain) undergraduate courses examined tutor marked assignment (TMA) rates as a reliable early indicator of student retention. This article reviews the effectiveness of course-related evaluation strategies (standard, evaluator-initiated; specific, client-initiated; quantitative; and qualitative) and argues the…

Describes and discusses critically a unique experiment called The Business Cafe that used a combination of broadcast television and an interactive Web site to reach people interested in business and management. Outlines the nine broadcasts, which were collaborations between the Open University (United Kingdom) and the BBC (British Broadcasting…

In distance learning provision in languages, fault correction and feedback can facilitate teacher?student dialogue. This article examines teachers' beliefs and assumptions about faults and the attitudes of both teachers and learners towards the correction process, all of which can play a key role in fostering this dialogue. Our findings are based…

Success in higher education depends on students' ability to meet the writing requirements of their chosen courses, and in many cases this involves adapting to the literacy practices of particular disciplines. While research into professional academic discourse suggests that it may reflect differences in disciplinary culture and epistemology, there…

This study builds upon the concept of alignment within the curriculum (due to Biggs) and suggests, in the context of two current examples, an integrated methodology for effectively aligned development activities within universities. Higher Education institutions face important challenges. Firstly, quality enhancement of the curriculum is now an…