A general discussion of the concept of open learning systems in the United States. (HB)

A five-year study of the bachelor of science in nursing program at Regents College documents the plausibility and efficacy of a program in which learning is self-directed and acquired primarily through resources external to the institution and which is validated and certified by objective assessment instruments and procedures. (JOW)

Having no faculty or classrooms and offering no courses by mail or television, the external degree program at Thomas Edison State College in Pennsylvania is described as an accredited program whereby college credits are gained primarily through the use of CLEP (College Level Examination Program) tests and individual assessment. (BM)

A description of distance education in Great Britain, which is defined as a multimedia educational process conducted outside the traditional classroom setting. (HB)

An analysis of the general conditions and problems involved in independent study systems, restricting discussion to the adult sector, by considering TELE-CNAM. (Author)

External degree programs are those educational programs that respond to acknowledged needs in higher education: greater access to post-secondary studies, more flexible curriculum offerings, and recognition of nontraditional forms of learning. This paper describes several external degree programs at various institutions across the U.S. Some of the…

The case for public library support for open university programs. Description of some existing public library projects and discussion of ways in which libraries can participate in adult degree programs. (LS)

An annotated bibliography covering the open university in the United States and Great Britain as well as the role of the library in such programs. (LS)

The University of Southern California (USC) Library School offered an experimental self-paced, independent learning program during the 1976-1977 academic year to help those students who desire this type of professional training but are unable to attend classes on a daily or semi-weekly basis in the traditional pattern of scheduling. Program…

After initial hostility and skepticism to Open Universities, the critical response became more favorable. From 1971 onwards there was a tremendous amount of writing about the Open University, not only in British journals and newspapers but also abroad. This bibliography incorporates over 130 entries dealing with the Open University in Great…

The library has traditionally been a center for independent learning and individual self-directed education. The Dallas Public Library, in cooperation with Southern Methodist University, set up a library independent study project (ISP). College credit could be obtained through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP); however, learning for…

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a credit by examination program offered by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) as an alternative to formal college education for independent learners. In 1970 the CEEB began to work with public libraries in providing help to the independent learner who wished to participate in the CLEP…

Three external degree programs--National Ed.D. Program for Educational Leaders, Nova University (Florida); University External Studies Program, University of Pittsburgh; and Field Centered Courses, Department of Early Childhood Education, Kent State University--are compared on the basis of a series of questions. Is the course designed for a…

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…

This course, one of 16 sequential courses comprising phase one of a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree program in Australian Studies, examines the bases for the selection of particular works of Australian literature as classics. The roles played by educational curricula and by literary criticism in presenting an Australian literature in the context…