Learning environments that support a sense of belonging have been shown to help students fully and meaningfully participate in their learning. Less is known, however, about the social organization of online learning environments that support a sense of belonging, particularly in postsecondary contexts. With an explicit attention to issues of…

This reflection focuses on the position of distance education in today's global higher education. Firstly, it identifies three types of convergence of distance and campus-based education--dual mode, add-on/blended, and full convergence--arguing that the last type has yet to be fully realized due to the complexities involved. It then critiques the…

With the growing demand for tertiary education, especially in Africa, the transformation of contact universities to dual-mode institutions is critical. However, conventional universities have had limited success establishing the dual-mode delivery stream. This paper assesses barriers to adoption and implementation of open and distance learning…

Although education policies in many African countries refer to the need for distance education to widen participation in universities, they have not articulated guidelines on how they plan to develop systems and structures that will support it. The purpose of this study was to develop a policy framework specific for distance education provision in…

In 2013, the Open University (OU) in the UK launched a large-scale survey of users of its OpenLearn platform for open educational resources. The survey results revealed that OpenLearn is functioning as a showcase and a taster for the OU, thereby offering informal learners a bridge to formal education. In 2014 and 2015, the OpenLearn survey was…

Gamification offers potential for improving students' online discussion quantity and the depth of discussion content. However, very few studies have examined the social network patterns when students are posting and providing peer-feedback to each other in gamification-based environments. In response to those gaps, this study used a learning…

Procrastination, putting off until tomorrow what should have been done today, is a self-regulation failure that is widespread among students. Although plenty of research has emerged regarding academic procrastination, hardly any research endeavor regarding procrastination in distance university settings exists. This lack of research is even more…

Learners' feelings of social connectedness may be a key factor in predicting online course success. However, students attempting to perceive and process the social context in online courses often find themselves engaging in unfamiliar, technology-mediated communication channels. While there have been several empirically based strategies published…

What does it take to be an effective online educator? Can those who teach successfully face-to-face be equally effective online? This article details a descriptive qualitative research study of students' perspectives regarding qualities of exceptional online educators. Participants described interactions they had with online teachers they…

Worldwide growth in use of mobile phones has fostered the emergence of mobile learning. Mobile technologies are used both in classrooms to support instruction (safe) and as tools that significantly change instructional activities, learner roles, and learning location (disruptive). Learners become less consumers of information and more…

This article considers the uses and non-uses of digital technology by international distance learners. It draws upon data from in-depth interviews with 60 learners from around the world following distance education degree courses provided by a large UK federal university. The article focuses firstly on learners' descriptions of technology's role…

The authors studied a course in which an instructor allowed individuals at a distance to participate. Although these students were not formally enrolled in the university where the class took place, the instructor gave them full access to all course materials and encouraged them to complete course assignments. The authors examined the time and…

The contributions of the Deutsches Institut fur Fernstudien (D.I.F.F.) to research in distance education and in the development of study units are analyzed in light of West German and international influences. Sixteen references are listed. (Author/MBR)

Provides a Chinese perspective on the debate concerning industrialization theory and distance education. Argues that higher education in China has a "craft-like" nature and China's Radio and TV Higher Education (RTVHE) represents one of the most industrialized forms of education in the world. Notes that RTVHE is in transition from…

Discusses basic characteristics of distance education and suggests areas for further development. Topics discussed include distance education as a substitute for conventional education versus a mode of education in its own right; non-contiguous communications; learning content; target groups; course development; and the need to support student…