In higher education (HE), some of the distinctions between conventional, campus-based universities and those dedicated to distance education are being eroded through the use of information and communication technology. Despite huge investments in technology to enhance teaching and learning, there has been a considerable lack of clarity about what…

In this case study the delivery of business courses as a result of the partnership between the African Virtual University (AVU) and Curtin University in Western Australia is described. From 2004 to 2008, degree and diploma business courses were delivered using WebCT in the four AVU partner locations: Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), Kigali…

SEPTIMUS is a one-year Europe-wide postgraduate theoretical course for psychotherapists and counsellors provided entirely via the Internet. It may be used as part of a training course, with face-to-face elements provided locally, or for continuing professional development. The course was developed at the University of Sheffield in collaboration…

There is a gulf between the rhetoric of those advocating the use of ICT in education in Africa and the reality of classroom practice. This paper explores some of the reasons for this, and outlines a possible framework for the successful implementation of teacher training programmes that make advantageous use of appropriate ICTs. It argues that six…

Proposes the establishment of a Research Foundation for Open Learning, and reflects on the Open University's achievements and the need for change. (Author/AEF)

Presents examples of the evaluation of media and technologies used at the FernUniversitat (Germany) for distance education. Topics include course evaluation; system or institutional evaluation; information and communication technologies; communication preferences and practice; computer access; multimedia via CD-ROMs and the Internet; video…