The history of American higher education is followed from the colonial attitude of elitist education to the current move toward external degree programs. The evolving philosophy is traced along with the accompanying educational practices. (JMF)

This course, one of 16 sequential courses comprising phase one of a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree program in Australian Studies, focuses on debates about Australia and Australian national character from 1788 to the present. It also introduces students to the forms of intellectual debate and the skills of essay writing. The course is designed…

Briefly outlines the early history of distance education programs in the 1960s, emphasizing the success of the Open University in the United Kingdom. Discusses 10 individual models of virtual universities that are international in scope. (JKP)

Prepared for the 75th anniversary of the external studies program at the University of Queensland, this essay includes a brief introduction and an introductory account of the first four directors of the program. Background information provided in the introduction includes the establishment, educational philosophy, funding sources, and…

This course, one of 16 sequential courses comprising phase one of a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree program in Australian Studies, traces a number of 19th and 20th century debates about culture and examines both the ways in which cultural groups have been formed and the conditions under which culture is produced in contemporary society. It is…

This course, one of 16 sequential courses comprising phase one of a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree program in Australian Studies, illustrates that the concept of work has not been a universal or historically consistent category. Some of the distinctive features of work in the Western world are covered, along with some effects of the Industrial…

This book challenges the notion that the open university is a recent invention and argues that in Britain there is a long and varied tradition of similar developments, and that there has been a significant 20th century reduction in the openness of universities, particularly in the period from the 1950s to the 1970s. Selected examples of open…

This course, one of 16 sequential courses comprising phase one of a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree program in Australian Studies, uses Australian literary and documentary writings of the 19th century to examine the formation of the proposition that the Australian national character is based on rural life. The course is designed for independent…

An unofficial history is given of the Open University in England. Its intent is to recreate the atmosphere in which the institution was conceived and organized. First the main events of 1963-1969 are summarized. Separate sections are then devoted to events in 1970 and each subsequent calendar year through 1975. Milestones are noted, and the…