Distance Education University Research Articles

The distance education situation and CAI at the University of South Africa

The Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at the University of South Africa (Unisa—a distance teaching university) has, over the years, been struggling with the twin problems of lack of staff and a difficult subject to teach adequately using only the traditional medium (the written or printed word) employed at Unisa. The article describes the rationale for choosing computer-aided instruction (CAI) to address both problems.

The use of computer-based testbanks at the University of South Africa

The distance education University of South Africa has included a computer-assisted instruction package as part of its computer concepts course. A computerised package is used to set up banks of short questions, selections of which are presented to the student as a self-test. The package has been well received by students.

ASSESSING PERSEVERANCE IN STUDIES AT THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF ISRAEL

Abstract This study purported to identify major factors which influence perseverance in studies at a distance teaching university with an open admission policy. The results indicate that: students who study in organised groups and get weekly tutorials have a higher perseverance rate as compared to students who study in the regular framework which provides tutorials every three weeks; veteran students have a greater chance to complete courses successfully as compared to novice students; and the success rate in liberal arts and social science courses is considerably higher as compared to natural science and mathematics courses. On the other hand, the factors of age, sex and previous level of education do not have an impact on perseverance and success in studies.

The potential contribution of distance teaching universities to improving the learning/teaching practices in conventional universities

The learning/teaching systems through which distance teaching universities (DTU) operate open up new avenues and possibilities of actions not available in conventional universities. Distance education has the potential to widen and expand the significance of higher education in many ways. This article analyzes the potential contribution of DTU to improving learning/teaching practices in traditional universities. It focuses mainly on the experience of Everyman's University, the Open University of Israel. More specifically it discusses seven potential areas of contribution: (1) improving the quality of university level textbooks; (2) enhancing independent study skills; (3) improving the pedagogy of university teaching; (4) promoting inter-disciplinary courses; (5) contributing to inter-university collaboration; (6) advancing the integration of multi-media into the learning/teaching systems of the universities; (7) promoting research on adult learning.

The iceberg has not melted: further reflections on the concept of industrialisation and distance teaching

Otto Peters was the first Vice‐Chancellor (or Rektor) of the Distance Teaching University in West Germany, The Fernuniversitat, a post he occupied from 1975‐84. Since that time he has been mainly occupied with research. His interpretation of distance study as an industrialised form of teaching and learning has attracted unusual attention. It is often referred to in discussions about distance education, and has been quoted and dealt with more than 50 times in the literature since Borje Holmberg and Desmond Keegan first began reporting it in the late seventies and early eighties. As can be expected with such a controversial issue discussion of it suffers from a number of misunderstandings. Otto Peters agreed to respond to them.

The value of the distance teaching university degrees in the employment market: a study of the Fernuniversitat graduates

The value of the distance teaching university degrees in the employment market: a study of the Fernuniversitat graduates

Technology for distance education: a 10‐year prospective

In this article, Tony Bates, Professor of Educational Media Research at the United Kingdom Open University (UKOU), provides an overview of the new technologies likely to be widely available for distance teaching in Europe within the next 10 years. He also considers the decision‐making and organisational requirements necessary to ensure that technology is properly used, and looks at the implications of technological developments for European‐wide co‐operation and delivery of distance teaching materials. This paper was originally written in late 1987 for the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU).

The Open University of the Netherlands

Many countries have established national autonomous distance teaching universities, one of the more recent being the Dutch Open University which started about three years ago. In this article, Ger van Enckevort, Head of the Bureau of Research and Evaluation at the University and Gottfried Leibbrandt, its founding President, outline its characteristics and give an interim evaluation of its achievements.

“A Ful Long Spoon”

ABSTRACTCollecting policies in the libraries of distance education universities are influenced by various factors including the educational philosophy of the institution, the nature of the materials sent to students (lecture notes? sets of readings?), the probability of public or other library support where students live, and the library's own service policies towards distance education students. Distant students, like others, have a right to expect reasonable access to the materials they are expected to use.

University distance education of adults

University distance education of adults

Quality control in distance learning

Distance teaching universities vary considerably in their characteristics, but share a common concern in the need to ensure the quality of their products. At Everyman's University in Israel, the scarcity of full‐time internal staff and the heavy reliance on outside contributors has prompted the development of quality control mechanisms rather different from, for example, those employed by the British Open University. This paper, by Sarah Guri, the Co‐ordinator of Education Studies at Everyman's University, discusses the merits and problems of their approach.

The role of group learning in multi‐media distance teaching

The West German Institute for Distance Study (DIFF) is 20 years old this month (February 1987). Based at The University of Tübingen, it has been able to research into the fast growing area of multi‐media distance teaching. West Germany provides some outstanding examples for study ‐‐ radio colleges, TV colleges and the distance teaching university (Femuniversitat) at Hagen. Professor Rebel is Director of DIFF.

Some problems of programme initiation at a distance education university

This article discusses some generic problems faced by those who would initiate a new programme or curriculum in a distance education university. The generic problems are highlighted by way of a specific programme initiative in psychology. Five major problems are cited: the problems of context, the programme context, the state of the discipline, institutional inertia and shared meanings.

Collection development and acquisitions for service to off-campus students

The factors that contribute to effective collection development and acquisitions for library service to off-campus students are discussed. These factors are staffing, adequate funds to purchase materials, good communications among library staff and between the library and the faculty and students who use it, and the need to modify traditional academic library collection development and acquisition policies and procedures. In the course of the discussion the Correspondence/Off-Campus Library Service provided by the University of Manitoba Libraries in support of the university's distance education program is described.

Transitional study programmes at the distance teaching University of South Africa: a continuing experiment

Transitional study programmes at the distance teaching University of South Africa: a continuing experiment

Book Review: The Distance Teaching University

Book Review: The Distance Teaching University

Use of an FM Radio Subcarrier for University Distance Education

(1984). Use of an FM Radio Subcarrier for University Distance Education. PLET: Programmed Learning & Educational Technology: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 310-313.

University Distance Education in Canada

University Distance Education in Canada

Planning new distance teaching universities

During the 1970s, new distance teaching universities (DTUs) were established worldwide. There are indications that further DTUs will be established during the 1980s in a number of countries.

The Open Learning Institute of British Columbia: a Case Study

This article, compiled from extracts of the Open University's Distance Education Research Group's paper number 8 published in August 1983, is printed with kind permission of the Open University. The original paper gives a fuller account of the Open Learning Institute (OLI) of the Canadian province of British Columbia since its inception in 1978 to the end of the summer of 1983. The authors concluded that the OLI had met a large part of its mandate to make available throughout the province of British Columbia courses and programmes to students who were either unable or unwilling to take advantage of on-campus provision.