The author would like to think that, in twenty-first century Britain, the case for adult learning was firmly established and no-one was in any doubt of its value. Having spent nearly 20 years before he became an MP working as a part-time lecturer and tutor with the Open University, and seeing the transformation that it could bring to his students,…

Lifelong learning, upskilling, going back to university to retrain and meet the needs of the economy are all things that people need to be doing to succeed in the competitive global world. However, new Government funding plans may mean that anyone considering going back to university for a second degree will face costs up to four times as much as…

Summarized the reports of the committees that have been involved in planning all types of adult education programs in Finland. (JOW)

In well-established disciplines there is largely traditional agreement about what subject areas should be included. When new disciplines emerge, decisions about their content seem more problematic. This article answers the questions of what distance education as an academic teaching discipline should cover. (Availability: Open University, 70…

Through further implementation of distance education, Chinese Taipei may both continue and increase its economic development. The benefits of lifelong learning have been demonstrated in the past 30 years by the economic growth and labor force skills development in Chinese Taipei. The founding of the National Open University, in 1986, with its…

This document is a report of the proceedings of a symposium on university distance education and innovations in telecommunications designed to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas among administrators, educators, and researchers representing various organizations and nations. It is noted that, in Asia and the Pacific region in particular,…

Distance education is offered by 4 universities and 34 institutes/directorates in India. All open universities have been brought under the direction of the Indira Gandhi National Open University with regard to networking and determination of grants. The networking has avoided unnecessary duplication of course preparation costs. Distance education…

Proceedings of an international conference on open education cover five themes: philosophy and concept, development trends in international perspective, dichotomy of equity and quality, graduates' employment, and the management challenge. Among the 41 conference papers and authors are: "The Idea of an Open University" (Preeda…

Management principles and trends are examined with attention to open higher education. Administrative activity includes policy-making, technical tasks, and institutional direction. Open higher education includes programs to prepare both professional and semi-skilled workers, as well as programs that meet personal and social aims. Participation in…

This discussion of the relationship between self-directed learning, adult development, and distance education presents findings from researchers in the field of autonomous learning. In addition, the implications of self-directed learning for the curriculum and teaching methods in distance education are considered. The document is divided into the…

The expansion of higher education in the United States has resulted in a variety of outreach programs to bring postsecondary education off the campus and into the community. New systems and programs of nontraditional study have emerged. Issues of current concern in open learning include: quality and effectiveness, outreach and access, research and…

The objectives, curriculum, and role of higher education and key policy and practice issues were reassessed against the backdrop of recent and predicted demographic, economic, and political changes and trends in Great Britain. Special consideration was given to the fact that "mature" learners now constitute the majority of entrants into…

The United Kingdom must invest in a comprehensive system of post-18 education that is broadly inclusive and that offers a broad range of educational opportunities to meet the needs of both the increasing numbers of 16-year-olds choosing to pursue postsecondary education and the many older individuals needing additional education throughout their…

The Republic of Croatia and Republic of Slovenia both became independent states in 1991 after separating from the former Yugoslavia. Despite their common origin, Croatia and Slovenia have very different cultures and traditions, different systems of education, and very different systems of adult education. Most of the differences between the two…