An examination of Britain's Open University in light of its success which proves some past educational assumptions false and poses challenges for future educational development. (HB)

A descriptive paper which attempts to give a brief overview of the nature of the course materials used in Science teaching at the Open University and the procedures adopted for assessment and evaluation. (Author)

A report from Britain's Open University that teaches students in their spare time through a mixture of television and radio, correspondence courses, summer schools and evening classes. (Editor/PG)

In the late 1960s, a new university (Athabasca) was created in the Edmonton, Alberta region with a mandate to provide undergraduate degree programs and to explore and institute new approaches in curriculum organization, program development, and services delivery. Relocation of the university is discussed. (MLW)

Describes the computing environment and command language for a new programing language called OUSBASIC which is designed to enable naive users to interact usefully, with little assistance, with a computer system. (Author/CHC)

A study in which British open university students were asked how they came to be studying the social sciences foundation course is reported. The students' approaches to learning are analyzed and their orientations (vocational, academic, personal, and social) are compared to those of students in a conventional university. (MSE)

A course on distance study for part-time teachers for both initial and retraining is described and evaluated. It emphasizes the preparation, exchange, and study of written materials as well as the conventional broadcast and face-to-face delivery. (MSE)

Difficulties in undertaking home study can include lack of local facilities and support services such as tutoring and counseling. A British project with the National Extension College undertook to identify the special needs of correspondence students and provide direct, convenient local support services. (MSE)

A study of recurrent faults in multiple-choice items in Britain's Open University's computer-marked tests has led to a procedure for avoiding these faults. A description of the study covers the incidence and sources of faults (obviousness, memorization, unclear instruction, ambiguity, distractors, inter-item effects, and structure) and…

A research project on the variability of tutor grading of student assignments at the Open University in Great Britain is reported. Factors in the variation that became apparent through discussion, questionnaires, and examination of papers are explained and areas for research are suggested. (MSE)

It is shown that Open University students are psychologically able to sustain an independent (i.e., student-centered) program of learning and that the Open University degree structure is sufficiently flexible to incorporate truly independent study into its structure in the form of a project credit. (Author/LBH)

Examines features of television news, drawing on a series of interviews conducted during the production of an Open University television program. Examines the visual and verbal conventions of news and attempts to highlight how and why news can appear convincing. Those interviewed included British Broadcasting Corporation news practitioners,…

Describes an undergraduate course at the Open University in Great Britain that teaches software engineering. Highlights include the use of formal methods to interpret the programing language's syntax and semantics; the role of course software; home use of microcomputers for the course; and supporting course materials. (LRW)

The history of South Africa's four English-speaking open universities is reviewed in the context of increasing numbers of black students and the rise of progressive research and teaching. Additional steps the universities can take to advance the end of apartheid include making facilities available to democratic movements and encouraging critical…