Ensuring Quality Education in Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) Through Virtual Learning Communities

Abstract

A process documentation was employed to determine how virtual learning communities are built in an open and distance education context as one mechanism to ensure quality education in this mode of instructional delivery. The study conducted at the University of the Philippines Open University from June 2008 to February 2010 specifically aimed to: 1) describe what a learning community is in the context of ODeL; 2) describe the process of building learning communities in ODeL; 3) determine factors essential for the building of learning communities in ODeL; 4) determine specific benefits of learning communities in an ODeL context wherein independent studying or learning is the core of the guiding principle. The study is also an attempt to document a good practice in ODeL, especially one that hopes to address quality of the learning process.