The Convergence of Distance and Conventional Education: Patterns of Flexibility for the Individual Learner (Routledge Studies in Distance Education (Paperback)) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415194288 ISBN 13: 9780415194280

Publisher: Routledge, 1999

Synopsis

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?

About this title

Product Description:

This text 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 clear distinctions that existed between ODL and conventional education are now breaking down. Issues arising from the convergence range across access, learning and teaching, management, policy - both institutional and more broadly, technology adoption and evaluation, professional development, costs and economics. This volume provides a range of essays from Australia, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada which analyse the changes arising from convergence which are seen as having the potential to revolutionise the provision of education over the first 30 years of the 21st century.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0415194288
• ISBN 13: 9780415194280
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 206
• Editor: Mills Roger