In the title the author asked whether dual-mode institutions were a stable "final" model for higher education or a step on the way to something else. Only a few institutions seem able to function in dual mode (i.e. with distinct groups of distance and classroom students) in a successful and sustainable way. Some institutions now claim that all…

In England there is a national survey of all students just before they graduate from bachelor's programmes called the National Student Survey (NSS). This produces a very influential ranking of all universities and colleges in England in terms of how the education they provide is perceived by their students. Top of this ranking every year is the…

This paper reviews the role of assessment in student learning and its relationship with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). There is ample evidence of technology-led innovations failing to achieve the transformations expected by educators. We draw upon existing research to illustrate the links between aspects of student…

This paper reviews research on learner and tutor interaction in asynchronous computer-mediated (ACM) conferences used in distance learning. The authors note claims made for the potential of ACM conferences to promote higher-order critical inquiry and the social construction of knowledge, and argue that there is a general lack of evidence regarding…

The polemical stance of Greville Rumble's paper argues for a "morality of humanity" that would produce a redistribution of material wealth, thus enabling (among other things) free use at point of access for higher education--and distance higher education in particular. The implicit assumption of this moral argument is that allowing such free…

In the 1960s and 1970s distance education was seen as a way of increasing access to education, and hence as something the state should fund. Libertarian thinking has weakened support for the nation-state as a provider of social welfare. This article argues that libertarian policies are "vicious" in their effects. By subscribing to such ideas we…

The extensive literature, situated mainly in "first world" contexts, on design and evaluation of distance learning materials, emphasises the importance of student feedback. This paper begins with an account of how two groups of students responded to questions on a text they had used in an inservice professional development programme for teachers…

This article examines the challenge of opening and transforming South African education. "Openness" and "transformation" of any education programme in any society are ethicopolitical processes. In the case of South Africa, the transition from an autocratic education system serving the interests of a minority to a more modern and democratic…

Conceptions of learning and preferred learning approaches have been suggested to vary cross-culturally. The extent to which learning is "student-centred" or "teacher-centred" also appears subject to cultural variation. This has led some to conclude that particular cultures exhibit learning preferences more suited to distance learning than do other…

In this paper, I take the position that the recently increased "e-talk" permeating our language potentially compromises our field's professionalism by "one-minutizing" learning that uses computer-mediated technologies. In so doing, I discuss historical aspects of adult education, the importance of language as a naming function, the evolution of…

Presents the author's experiences as an online student at the Open University (United Kingdom) as a case study to examine the relationship between interaction, reflection, and learning in distance education. Discusses reflection and experiential learning theory and proposes recommendations for course design that promotes the understanding of…

Explores one student's personal experience of the evolution of distance learning in the United Kingdom between 1977 and 1997. Discusses changes in learning materials; differences in assessment strategies and learner support; increasing consumerism; changes in the nature of distance learners; and the increasing role of information and communication…

Pursuing design and development through collegial partnerships will improve the quality of teaching and learning at a distance. This article argues that the concept of what excellence in teaching and learning is determines what should be done to achieve it and discusses how distance education practitioners can act as in-house change agents for…

Since the start of the current millennium, experience and expertise in the development and delivery of mobile learning have blossomed and a community of practice has evolved that is distinct from the established communities of "tethered" e-Learning. This community is currently visible mainly through dedicated international conference series, of…

While studying Gender Issues in Distance Education at Athabasca University, the author has read about nomadic Fulbe women in Nigeria who learned by radio. She became inspired to explore the idea of serial drama as education. She began searching the Internet for ideas. She discovered a striking example of entertainment-education--an educational…