This study explored the extent to which distance learning tutors found sharing practice through participating in a tutor-led online programme of online events helped them to develop as practitioners and hence support students more effectively. The regular online sessions, delivered by tutors for tutors, was a staff development initiative…

This article discusses the practices followed by the youngest open university of South Asia and the only open university of Nepal for access and equity through online teaching and learning. Key initiatives that the university has undertaken in this regard are explored to understand how practices and strategies are applied by this higher education…

Quality aims at meeting customer satisfaction through its various attributes in a product, process or system. Quality has to meet the requirements of a competitive environment, offer good price for cost and meet customer satisfaction. In the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, quality means the special attributes of ODL, such as being…

COVID-19 forced higher education to convert to distance operations at short notice. Establishing a "new normal" as the pandemic subsides will be equally challenging. Institutions will continue to offer face-to-face teaching and distance learning. They need strategies for ensuring quality instruction in both modes. In this article, the…

The Open Distance Learning (ODL) commenced in Nigeria in the year 2003 by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and many universities in the country have also adopted it. The study focused purposely on four ODL centers in Kwara state. Five research questions and three research hypotheses were formulated. The student samples were selected…

Not surprisingly, the number of online universities continues to expand--especially in COVID-19 times. These institutions all offer "online education" with diverse institutional, technological, and pedagogical processes. However, a fundamental element has to do with the experience of the students, and how they adapt to the educational…

Library and information support services (LISS) to distance learners (DLs) and tutors are mandatory for qualitative learning and teaching. From the literature, LISS needs of Open and Distance Learners (ODLs) and their tutors (such as user education and information literacy instruction) were not adequately researched in Nigeria. This study,…

This paper reports on the findings of a study which sought to investigate the impact and efficacy of technology-based counseling offered by the University of South Africa (Unisa), an Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution. The study focused specifically on student perceptions of the services they had received from professionals based in the…

This paper focuses on the experiences of out-of-school girls in Zimbabwe. It draws on a research strand of SAGE (Supporting Adolescent Girls' Education), a UKAid programme funded through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Girls' Education Challenge (GEC) initiative. Using a digital storytelling approach the research…

The perceived flexibility of distance education, whereby students can juggle their multiple life roles, is often cited as the predominant reason for enrolling in this mode of study. Nonetheless, for distance learners their multiple roles often have a significant impact on their study experience. This study had three objectives: (1) to explore…

First published in 1980 "The Door Stood Open" deals with an early demand upon open university policy. It deals with important themes like context of the younger students pilot scheme; demand for open university places among the younger age group; motivational factors and potential study problems; the impact of open university study on…

This paper investigates the relevance of electronic resources and improved access for effective distance learning and continuing education. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The total population of the study comprises 7,125 registered students of the National Open University of Nigeria. A convenience sampling technique was…

The areas of research and methodological dimensions in the distance education are expanding rapidly due to technological advances (Wong et al., 2016). This research intends to investigate the imbalances in domains of research topics and methodological dimensions in the doctoral level dissertations at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) between…

Massive open online courses (MOOC) constitute an emerging technology for distance and open education while interest in incorporating them in higher education is constantly growing. Due to the free and open access learning opportunities that they offer, they attract an immense number of learners from all over the world. Additionally, because of…

As part of a wider study into perceptions that different university stakeholders have of tutorials, we investigated the UK Open University model for tuition through a process of semi-structured interviews with a self-selecting set of STEM tutors. The aim of the study was to elucidate perceptions that tutors have of the role and purpose of…