Central Michigan University has been operating an external degree program for the Honolulu Model Cities Program since February 1972. The Institute for Personal and Career Development (IPCD) is the component that extends the goals of the program--equal access to education for personal enrichment, career alternatives, and increased upward…

The Open University is discussed from the standpoints of problems, the design of the Student Application Form, an analysis of the student's progress, data collection techniques, and the course unit reporting system. Problems discussed include: the devising of an integrated multi-media system suitable for teaching degree-level courses; teaching…

The external degree movement is raising critical questions for higher education. It is necessary for advocates of new programs to deal with the basic assumptions underlying higher education in America. Faculty governance, the determination of what constitutes worthwhile knowledge, the selection of some subject matters and the rejection of others,…

Distance teaching is defined. Education is seen as a learning process on the part of the student rather than an instructional process of the teacher. The use of a study center is seen as a stepping stone from traditional group learning to nontraditional individual or group learning. (MLW)

Reviews organizational approaches adopted in different countries for resource management in distance education and compares the cost structure of distance education and conventional education. Resource implications of alternative organizational approaches are briefly examined. Ireland's cooperative approach is described and cost-effective computer…

Purpose: Aims to investigate reactions to online delivery, student perceptions of the rates and depth of participation, and levels of engagement with the learning process in a Western Australian University. Design/methodology/approach: The sample for this study comprised 108 students who were enrolled in both undergraduate and postgraduate…

The Global University System (GUS) is a world wide initiative to create an advanced telecommunications infrastructure for access to educational resources across national and cultural boundaries in the search for global peace. GUS aims to create a world wide consortium of universities to provide the underdeveloped world with access to 21st century…

These two presentations discuss the National External Diploma Program (EDP) sponsored by the American Council on Education and its relationship to the Department of Labor's Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) report and to the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS). The first presentation focuses on the…

The National External Degree Program (EDP) of the American Council on Education is an alternative way for adults to earn a high school diploma. EDP is a competency-based, high school level assessment system that credentials mature adults who have acquired their high school level skills through their life experience. It uses materials adults have…

A workshop for nurse and health educators involved in the development of distance education study materials, methods, and delivery systems was held in February 1987 at the Center for Distance Learning at Gippsland Institute. Goals were: (1) to explore distance education approaches to meet nursing education needs; (2) to develop skills to plan,…

Formal and informal educational options available to older persons are briefly described, with attention to classroom courses, correspondence/home study courses, credit by examination, summer/weekend learning vacations, external degree programs, discussion groups, and self-study. Classes may be offered at public and private schools, community…

A study sought to determine the rate of retention of adult students in the University of Minnesota College Program for Individualized Learning (PIL) for the 1983-84 academic year, as well as factors that might relate to this retention rate. A review was made of the 67 applications submitted by students admitted to PIL during that year to determine…

The use and effectiveness of study centers and study center networks as a support system in distance education were investigated, based on interviews with students, tutors, and coordinators of four Australian distance education systems. The investigation of study centers at the University of Queensland, the Riverina College of Advanced Education,…

Past and current features of the master's degree and planning implications are considered. After outlining the traditional master's degree, five recent trends are addressed: specialization, professionalization, application, decentralization, and depersonalization. The number of special master's degree programs has grown, and many programs lead to…

Weekend College at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis is described with attention to learning later in life. In the first 10 years, Weekend College has offered 325 courses. Students have come long distances, some more than 100 miles, to attend classes. The following advantages of Weekend College have been cited by students:…