Several studies of distance education students' attitudes toward and need for local student-teacher contact time suggest that the provision of local tutorial time can be important for student success and should be planned by the tutors in consultation with their students. (MSE)

From tape recordings of 30 tutorial sessions at the Open University it is concluded that the teacher's role is less than the ideal of facilitator of learning; there is great pressure from students for the teacher to instruct rather than discuss the course material. (MSE)

Characteristics of both successful and unsuccessful tutors at the Open University are illustrated, based on first-hand observation of staff members. Areas covered include: knowledge and handling of subject matter, general teaching skills, classroom skills, social competence, values and work rate, administrative competence, and style. (LBH)

Detailed analysis of student attendance at British tutorial sessions indicate that mathematics tutorials are relatively well attended and attendance correlates well with course results. Regular attenders achieve higher marks than nonattenders. It is concluded that minimizing distances to be traveled to tutorials is important in program planning.…

Since 1970, liaisons between the Open University and local providers of adult education have assisted in preparing adults for studying in the Open University. Two examples from joint work with the Workers' Educational Association are cited. (Author/AF)

Tutors and tutor-counselors assist individual students in the Open University. The effects on student's tutors of providing resources to tutor-counselors to offer extra sessions for first-year students who appear to need additional help are reported. (JMF)

Experience in Scotland shows that telephone tuition can be an effective means to bring remote students and tutors into direct contact. One-to-one tuition, conference call tuition, and loud-speaker tuition are discussed. Limitations and advantages of this medium are noted, and development across the United Kingdom is advocated. (AF)

The choices involved in setting up an open learning system are discussed, and the case for the mixture of interaction and independence is established. Problems involved in effecting the synthesis between activities in which the student works alone and those which bring him into contact with others are detailed. (AF)