Paul LeBlanc has reimagined higher education, with a focus on the most fundamental of functions: student learning. In "Students First," he advocates for an entire higher education ecosystem in which students have the flexibility to gain, assess, and certify their knowledge on their own terms and timelines. In a perceptive analysis,…

The epidemic of COVID-19 has disrupted education in over 150 nations and harmed 1.6 billion children. As a result, a number of nations have introduced some type of remote learning employing technology and students were encouraged to engage in self-determined learning. Many Educational Institutions that previously resisted changing their…

Recent evolutions, such as pervasive networking and other enabling technologies, have been increasingly changing human life, knowledge acquisition, and the way works are performed and students learn. In this societal change, educational institutions must maintain their leading role. They have therefore embraced digitally enhanced learning to…

This volume examines many of the complex issues regarding the language skills and professional competencies acquired by students studying Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at universities in the United Kingdom and across Europe. It also outlines the innovative pedagogical strategies, methods, and resources employed by language academics to help…

In this volume researchers from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America employ a variety of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches in their exploration of the links between identity, motivation, and autonomy in language learning. On a conceptual level the authors explore issues related to agency, metacognition,…

As lifelong learning grows in popularity, few comprehensive pictures of the phenomenon have emerged. The "Routledge International Handbook of Lifelong Learning" provides a disciplined and complete overview of lifelong learning internationally. The theoretical structure puts the learner at the centre and the book emanates from there,…

This book explores the lives of a group of adult students, their rationale for pursuing an independent study degree at a distance, and their perceptions of computer conferencing. It is based on data from unstructured interviews and participant observation that were then analyzed from a symbolic interaction perspective. Chapter 1 describes the…

This book, intended for students planning, exploring, or currently completing graduate school via long distance, is written by two people who themselves completed a doctoral program via long distance. The book is based on personal experiences, an informal survey of people in this country and abroad, and responses from a listserv concerning…

This guide provides an in-depth look at distance learning. It lists hundreds of currently available undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and professional certificate programs. The courses listed are all offered for credit or certification by a growing number of accredited "electronic universities" that deliver their classwork via personal…

In this practical, user-friendly, and comprehensive guide, two experienced online instructors explain the history and methodology of distance learning and cover everything an online instructor needs to know--from designing a course, to using technology, to assessing students and more. Throughout the book, the authors demonstrate how to use…

This guide for adults who are seeking external degrees offers guidance for selecting such a program and a listing of 140 accredited programs. The five chapters of part 1 provide an introduction to external degree opportunities. Chapter 1 briefly considers the multiple ways in which today's adults can continue their education. Chapter 2 explains…

This book contains 19 papers grouped in three sections that lead the reader through the process of planning, producing, and presenting materials in open and distance learning, based on experience in Great Britain. Following an overview by Roger Lewis, the Planning section contains the following six papers: "Resources and Constraints in Open…

This book is based on training sessions conducted by the author that focused on key issues in the design of self-instructional materials, including an awareness of the distinctive features of self-instructional materials, characteristics of the target audience, and coming to grips with the resources and constraints within which one must work.…

Based on materials originally prepared for a course being developed at an Australian university, this book examines critical issues in distance education and open learning. The book is organized in five parts. The first part locates distance education in relation to education and social science and provides a general introduction and orientation.…

Intended for individuals engaged in open and distance learning activities, this guide is designed with an applications focus that provides a "quick start" for immediate work needs. Built on an intuitive set of "How do I" questions, the book presents the foundation needed to teach from a distance. The format is a multimodel approach, combining…