This book, written by authors representing 12 countries and five continents, is a collection of international perspectives on distance learning and distance learning implementations in higher education. The perspectives are presented in the form of practical case studies of distance learning implementations, research studies on teaching and…

Summarizes differences between face-to-face and distance learners at Fernuniversitat (West Germany) in terms of demographics, motivation, study conditions, and personal consequences, in order to provide some empirically derived insights into the psychological consequences of distance learning for learners. (MBR)

Describes philosophy behind development of British Open University's course "Education for Adults," which emphasizes adult learner independence and autonomy and implements an andragogical approach within a distance teaching system. Significance of evaluation data from the course and the challenge presented to designers of courses are…

Presents an overview of a course on robotics and automation developed by the Organization for Rehabilitation through Training (ORT) to be offered through an open learning environment in the United Kingdom. Highlights include hardware and software requirements, an educational model, design principles, and future developments. (LRW)

Reports on a case study of formative evaluation of the materials and procedures used in a distance-learning French-language course. Identifies and evaluates key teaching design features of the draft audiovisual and print packages. Discusses teaching design in relation to revisions made to the course materials. (CFR)

Describes a project-based distance learning course design in an open university course. Discusses approaches to course design in distance learning and suggests that students are not as easily manipulated by instructional devices as course designers may think. (CFR)