This volume of essays from leading British, North American and Australasian contributors looks at the issues of the convergence of distance and conventional education. The term 'convergence' refers to the breaking down of barriers between open and distance learning and conventional institutions, and the creation of more and more institutions working across a range of modes. Such convergence has been driven by a number of factors, including the new technologies for teaching and learning, the impact of lifelong learning policies, the entry of larger than ever numbers of adult part-time students...

Guidance and counselling in the context of learning is an area that is growing rapidly and attracting a lot of interest within the field of education. This reader presents a range of different perspectives - those of the user, practitioner, professional, manager, policy-maker and academic. By offering these various tales, the book aims to encourage a more beneficial interchange of dialogue between the people involved, whether they be in the role of the counsellor or the counselled.
Written for a new module on the Open University's MA in Education - E839

This volume of the Open University Reader for Supporting Lifelong Learning looks at policy development in lifelong learning at local, regional, national and supra-national levels. Using an international team of contributors, it explores and examines the policy context for lifelong learning, the policies themselves, and their effects when implemented.
The book focuses on the role of lifelong learning policy in relation to issues of competitiveness, technological change and social inclusion. The provision of a range of chapters from around the globe uniquely establishes a comparative basis...

This volume of the Open University Reader for Supporting Lifelong Learning looks at policy development in lifelong learning at local, regional, national and supra-national levels. Using an international team of contributors, it explores and examines the policy context for lifelong learning, the policies themselves, and their effects when implemented.
The book focuses on the role of lifelong learning policy in relation to issues of competitiveness, technological change and social inclusion. The provision of a range of chapters from around the globe uniquely establishes a comparative basis...

Distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular way of studying, and most universities now provide courses using this method. Today's students, though, are demanding high quality, consumer-focused and flexible courses and learning resources. This means that providers of distance education need to reconsider key issues about their learner support systems, ensuring that this is delivered appropriately and effectively. This book considers the changing needs and demands of distance education students. It draws together contributions from the UK, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, South...

Distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular way of studying, and most universities now provide courses using this method. Today's students, though, are demanding high quality, consumer-focused and flexible courses and learning resources. This means that providers of distance education need to reconsider key issues about their learner support systems, ensuring that this is delivered appropriately and effectively. This book considers the changing needs and demands of distance education students. It draws together contributions from the UK, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, South...

The rushed development of information and communication technologies and their impact on the world of learning in the last decade have profoundly changed the paradigms, scenarios and values at all levels of education.

The professionalization of tools and practices, in addition to the consolidation of academic and practical knowledge, has been a major continuing issue throughout these years. The annual conferences of the largest European professional community in distance and e-learning have been setting the landmarks in this process. The selection from this unique knowledge pool...