There may be many kinds of e-learning material presented to learners. However, learners may not have the consciousness or not want to spend time to examine to select the most appropriate one. Recommendation systems seem to be a feasible solution for an efficient learning process both for learners and the service provider. In this study, we propose…

The following article examines the issues of open, distance and technology-based informal learning and non-formal education for individual and community development. It argues that these two modes of education, which are estimated to constitute 70-90% of lifelong learning, are insufficiently represented in the literature of open and distance…

The article addresses the question of how the assessment process with large-scale data derived from online learning environments will be different from the assessment process without it. Following an explanation of big data and how it is different from previously available learner data, we describe three notable features that characterize…

Cathy Sandeen is Vice President for Education Attainment and Innovation at American Council on Education, the nation's largest organization providing leadership and advocacy for all sectors of higher education. Within this role she develops and articulates ACE's attainment agenda and currently oversees a large research project on Massive Open…

This paper identifies the key factors that contribute to the Open School in India students' satisfaction, considering student support elements at pre-entry, start up, learning, evaluation and certification and after certification phases. The study adapted Rekkedal and Eriksen's importance-satisfaction model to recognise areas that are important to…

This paper first presents an overview of the concepts of assessment and evaluation in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) environment. The large numbers of students and numerous courses make assessment and evaluation very difficult and administrative nightmare at Distance Learning (DL) institutions. These challenges informed exploring issues relating…

The Open Learning Initiative (OLI) is an open educational resources project at Carnegie Mellon University that began in 2002 with a grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. OLI creates web-based courses that are designed so that students can learn effectively without an instructor. In addition, the courses are often used by instructors…

There is considerable naivete regarding the similarities between progressive education and open education. Discusses these similarities and differences. (Editor/JF)

How some administrators are tackling testing, evaluation, and accountability concerns in open classroom programs is spelled out in this special report that includes nine examples of diagnostic, evaluative, and recordkeeping instruments devised by pioneering schools. (Author)

This paper gives a general description of the English informal schools; discusses mathematics instruction in the open school, the mechanics of reform in the British educational system, teachers' centers, the British approach to assessment, and mathematics reform in the United States; and airs some criticisms of informal education. (DT)

Presents some of the characteristics of open education, discusses some of the difficulties in evaluating it, and offers recommendations to improve the classic approach to evaluation and to encourage the use of methods outside the classic approach. (IRT)

The article outlines in detail the events leading to the Open University's present policy of neither providing, financing, nor sponsoring preparatory courses. It also considers whether or not its methods of teaching and assessment are too traditionally academic. (Author/AG)