Seminars on curriculum development transmitted by satellite are operated by the University of the South Pacific, Suva. The satellite was launched in 1966 by NASA, which has permitted educational broadcasting. Ground stations have been set up in eight countries that support the university. Practical aspects of transmission are outlined. (SW)

It is shown that Open University students are psychologically able to sustain an independent (i.e., student-centered) program of learning and that the Open University degree structure is sufficiently flexible to incorporate truly independent study into its structure in the form of a project credit. (Author/LBH)

Open University courses are defined as processes of interaction between students, the materials, and the tutors. Using this definition, the stages of course development, major purposes of feedback, and major audiences for feedback are discussed with particular emphasis on the role of the tutor and student in course development. (JMF)

The rationale for and development of off-campus studies at Deakin University, Australia, are described. Based on the determination that Victoria had substantial demand for off-campus studies, Deakin University planned to admit to its off-campus program approximately 1,000 students in 1978 and anticipated 2,500 to 3,000 off-campus students by the…

The author, a visitor at the United Kingdom's Open University, comments on his observations of the correspondence and multimedia teaching methods at the University; course production; production problems; and the role of the Institute of Educational Technology which assists faculties in course development. (JMD)

The situation of the part-time tutor at the Open University is examined by a staff member. Consideration is given to the sense of isolation, the part-timer's general role in the university and limitations enforced by that role, and the contribution part-timers could make to course maintenance and planning. (LBH)

A form used in Britain's Open University for teachers to criticize team-developed courses has been improved to allow for more constructive comments, more two-way communication, and continual course improvement. (MSE)

Three challenges that face distance educators at the national, institute, and individual subject level in Australia are discussed in a set of Occasional Papers by the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education (RMIHE). Australia is undergoing a period of major change. The binary system of universities and colleges of advanced education is…

Describes Dundee College of Education's experience in developing a course in educational technology for part time nonresident students both in Britain and overseas. (LLS)

The growth of the Open University has led to attempts to increase the efficiency of the whole operation, such as prepackaging of teaching materials and advanced scheduling and planning of new courses. Effects of such policies on tutor-student links and the immediacy of materials are discussed. (AF)

A procedure for course evaluation at Britain's Open University is described. Justification for obtaining feedback from students, audiences for the data, and intended uses in the maintenance of courses are outlined. (JMF)

It is recommended that librarians be involved in college curriculum development. The role of libraries has not been seriously considered for distance study, and there are problems of library service delivery in sparsely populated rural areas. Great effort should be made to extend equivalent services in distance education to preserve educational…

Three objectives are examined in this report: (1) to outline concisely some of the educational questions that course planning teams may wish to address in the early stages of course planning; (2) to provide a short list of resources, principally from the Open University's Institute of Educational Technology (IET), that may aid in course team…

The way that the Open University system in Great Britain operates and the use of the mass media are discussed in detail. A number of problems the adult student is likely to face are identified, along with basic differences between U.S. and British societies that influence the application of an open university approach. Attention is directed to:…

The development of course materials at the Open Learning Institute, British Columbia, Canada, is examined from two perspectives: as an industrial process and as a social process. The public institute provides distance education through paced home-study courses. The course team model used at the Institute is a system approach. Course development…