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Open
and Distance Learning
Definitions
There
is no one definition of open and distance learning.
Rather, there are many approaches to defining the
term. Most definitions, however, pay attention to
the following characteristics:
1. separation
of teacher and learner in time or place, or in both
time and place;
2. institutional
accreditation; that is, learning is accredited or
certified by some institution or agency. This type
of learning is distinct from learning through the
student's own effort without the official recognition
of
a learning institution;
3. use
of multimedia courseware, including print, radio and
television broadcasts, video and audio cassettes,
computer-based learning and telecommunications. Courseware
tends to be pre-tested and validated before use;
4. two-way
communication allows learners and tutors to interact
as distinguished from the passive receipt of broadcast
signals. Communication can be synchronous or asynchronous;
5. possibility
of face-to-face meetings for tutorials, learner–learner
interaction, library study and laboratory or practice
sessions; and
6. use
of industrialised processes; that is, in large-scale
open and distance learning operations, labour is divided
and tasks are assigned to various
staff who work together
in course development teams.
The
educational philosophy of open learning emphasises giving
learners choices about:
- medium
or media, whether print, on-line, television or
video;
- place
of study, whether at home, in the workplace or
on campus;
- pace
of study, whether closely paced or unstructured;
- support
mechanisms; and
- entry
and exit points.
any
institutions use the term open in their names: The Open
University in
the UK; Open Access College and the Open
Learning Institute of Charles Sturt University, both
in Australia; Open Learning Information Network and
the Open Learning Agency, both in Canada; Indira Gandhi
National Open University in India; and the Open University
of Sri Lanka.
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