This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores…

Education is the foundation to almost all successful lives, and it is important that a high level of schooling be available on a global scale. Studying the trends in accessibility in education will allow educators to improve their own teaching techniques, as well as expand their influence to more remote areas in the world. "The Future of…

Current implementation of Australia's Learning and Teaching Performance Fund rewards universities that demonstrate outstanding performance. This paper critically evaluates the capacity of the fund to "promote improvement" in learning and teaching. Analysis of past data describing institutional performance clearly shows that the rank…

In contrast to the most commonly suggested approaches to equalizing access to higher education in Australia, either permanently abolishing fees or reinstating fees, the most equitable solution would be to spend comparable amounts on all forms of postsecondary education and training, spreading resources to a broader range of programs and…

The so-called binary system of postsecondary education in Australia, a subject of recent criticism, is found to be less a matter of concern than the related funding issues and concern for equitable support of all sectors. (MSE)

The author discusses teaching early child mathematics in an environment of unique challenge in a remote region of Western Australia. The challenges include: (1) a high proportion of transient students; (2) a student population that is forty percent aboriginal, many for whom English is a second language; (3) students who consistently perform below…

This book contains papers presented at a conference focused on the subject of funding for higher education and providing comparative perspectives on, and case studies of, educational financing from around the world. After an introduction by Ernest L. Boyer, the papers and their authors are as follows: "The Costs of Higher Education: Worldwide…

This comparative study of technical and vocational education policy, planning, and administration in 16 countries is based on case studies prepared by representatives of those countries in 1982 according to guidelines drawn up in conformity with the activities foreseen in the Unesco Programme for 1981-83. Chapter 1 introduces the study. Chapter 2…