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 into tertiary education, and the demands of both employers and individuals for professional and work-related education throughout their working lives. The fourteen chapters engage critically with a range of aspects of convergence, including: * how well is open and distance learning carried out by conventional institutions for which it may continue for a lengthy period to be seen as of secondary importance? * to what extent will open and distance learning be more effectively carried out by conventional institutions able to offer a variety of modes to a wide range of learners? * how well will the variety of learners be served by systems that are converging? * what are the managerial issues at institutional level where converging systems are being developed?

This book focuses on the convergence of open and distance learning approaches with conventional education, driven to a considerable extent by a range of technologies which support learning and which are being adopted in all sectors.

The second edition of this award-winning book continues the mission of its predecessor, to provide a comprehensive compendium of research in all aspects of distance education, arguably the most significant development in education over the past quarter century. While the book deals with education that uses technology, the focus is on teaching and learning and how its management can be facilitated through technology. This volume will be of interest to anyone engaged in distance education at either the K-12 or college level. It is also appropriate for corporate and government trainers and for administrators and policy makers in all these environments.

The higher education landscape is embracing the call to be innovative, yet scholars have not clearly defined what it means to innovate. Innovation is not limited to the use and adoption of educational technologies, and it encompasses a broad array of elements that must be considered if we are to truly aspire toward innovative teaching in higher education. Enhancing Learning Design for Innovative Teaching in Higher Education is a critical scholarly publication that examines how instructional systems design, instructional design, educational technologies, curriculum design, and program design impact innovation and innovative teaching in higher education. The book offers definitions of innovative teaching and examines critical intersections to achieve innovation and innovative teaching in post-secondary environments. Highlighting a wide range of topics such as program mapping and learning design, this book is essential for academicians, administrators, professionals, curriculum developers, instructional designers, K-12 teachers, educational technologists, researchers, and students.

"This book provides ethical insight into the world of e-learning through case studies that elucidate the issues through real-world examples"--Provided by publisher.

Online distance education and training is being adopted throughout the world as a cost-effective, flexible answer to widening access for all. This enthusiasm has led to many initiatives and policies from governments to encourage online learning at international, national, regional and institutional levels. Also, changes in distance learning continue to take place as a result of educational discourse and innovations in ICT. Distance learning courses are therefore under pressure to reform, and successful management of external policy planning and internal change management is key to the implementation and maintenance of reforms. World-class leaders, researchers and practitioners share their experiences, research and critical reflection in this book, providing guidance on how to balance quality management with quality learning. Subjects covered include policy and planning, institutional management, management of processes, quality assurance and accreditation, and internationalization. This book will aid anyone involved in running or wanting to implement distance education to effectively manage an online learning programme.

Distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular way of studying, and most universities now provide courses using these methods. Today's students, though, are demanding high quality, consumer-focused and flexible courses, as well as learning resources and active learner support. 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. Considering the changing needs and demands of distance education students, this book draws together contributions from the UK, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, South Africa and Botswana, to offer an international perspective on: * the challenges and opportunities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) * quality assurance, commercialisation and the learner as consumer * the impact on learners of cultural differences on internationalised curricula * the implications for learner support of a wider range of learners This book should be read by all those involved in developing and delivering distance education courses.

The main common themes of an earlier book in this series, Virtual Learning and Higher Education, were: the extent to which education should become ‘virtual’, the actual cost and value of such innovation and to what degree such education suits its stakeholders. In order to further engage with these important issues a conference was held in Mansfield College, Oxford in September 2003. An edited selection of the papers from that event along with relevant papers that developed as a result of the conference’s subsequent correspondences are the contents of this book. The chapters cover a spectrum of practical issues from ‘at the e-chalkface’ experimentations with virtual technologies via those who consider the consequences of establishing such systems through to those interested in developing long-term strategy or policy in the area. This stimulating and important book is aimed at researchers of topics such as technology-driven education, philosophy, innovation and cultural studies. It is also meant to appeal to anyone with an interest in the ‘virtual’ world of education.

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 demonstrates the deepening and consolidation of knowledge and experience. This book presents the developments in the field of open, distance and e-learning, through new technologies, methodologies and tools, which have profoundly changed the paradigms, scenarios and values at all levels of education over the last decade.

Despite the massive potential of distance learning on the internet, the field of distance training is little known or understood. This guide addresses this knowledge gap and: *presents research into four models of distance education, into which it is claimed nearly all provision world-wide falls *provides a global overview of distance education and training *examines case studies of distance education establishments providing insight into their structure and advantages *challenges the premise that distance training lacks academic exellence and status *appraises the role of distance education as a tool for employers to provide more effective and efficient training for employees. Born in the nineteenth century, distance training came of age in the twentieth century. Desmond Keegan presents an overview of distance training from its inception and looks forward to the innovations of the future.