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…

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…

In today's world where tuition fees continue to rise rapidly and the demand for higher education increases in both the developing and developed world, it is important to find additional and alternative learning pathways that learners can afford. Traditional education as we have known it has begun to change, allowing for new parallel learning…

Although ideas about digital media and learning have become an important area for educational research, little attention has been given to the practical and conceptual implications for the school curriculum. In this book, Ben Williamson examines a series of contemporary curriculum innovations in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia that…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…

In today's usage the distinction between open and distance education is often blurred. Indeed, open education and open learning are not synonymous with distance education and distance learning, a fact that is readily discernible by examining the characteristics of each. Teaching and learning in distance education are based on two elements: a…

Twenty-five papers presented at the conference include papers on the role of the site coordinator in a distributed education network in Ontario; student support systems in the Open University of Israel; the dilemmas of designing a computer mediated communication support system; interactive libraries; tutoring in technical science in the Open…

A tour to obtain a broad picture of the state of development of adult education in cities of the United States, of Canada, of India, and of the United Kingdom is described. The objectives of the tour were to examine: (1) the provision made for residential adult education overseas (the U.S.); (2) the relationship between the various agencies…

Results of survey of high technology educational delivery systems in nine two-year colleges (five in the United States and four in Canada) emphasize the use of computers to provide alternatives to traditional classroom teaching. Topics discussed include open education, self-paced (fleximode) learning, artificial intelligence, software, and…

These 14 essays address convergence--the breaking down of barriers between open and distance learning and conventional education, and the creation of more multimodal institutions. "Convergence of Distance and Conventional Education" (Tait, Mills) is an overview to the book. "Efficacy and Ethics of Using Digital Multimedia for…

Problems facing distance open learning in the developing Asian countries were examined, and possible solutions were proposed. The prominent features of distance and open learning in 10 developed nations were identified. Existing distance education (DE) systems in developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were reviewed and found to…

Trends in higher education (HE) in Scotland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom in the 1990s were reviewed, and possible policy directions for HE in the 21st century were explored. Special attention was paid to the following areas: features of HE institutions in the 21st century; the relationship between the state and HE institutions; curriculum…

This book provides a comprehensive survey of literature regarding the theory and practice of distance education (DE). Among the aspects of DE discussed are the following; overall picture of DE today (concept/evolution, DE and open learning, modes of teaching/learning); background (basic questions concerning education/teaching/learning and impact…

This book contains 16 papers on learner support in distance education in an international context. The following papers are included: "Constructivism or Confucianism? We Have the Technology, Now What Shall We Do With It?" (Louise Aylward); "Exploring Informal Study Groups in a South African Teacher Education Programme" (Carol…

This document contains nine papers from the social and ethical issues section of an international conference on vocational education and training (VET) for lifelong learning in the information era. The following papers are included: "Attitudes of University Faculty Members toward Students with Disabilities" (Marie F. Kraska);…