Dear all,

This module introduces organizational models of distance education for higher education. Higher education is understood as including post-secondary university education as well as academic further education. We will first look at some issues and questions, then suggest some case studies to get some 'food for thought', and identify some relevant literature.

Issues and questions

It may make sense to look at the OUUK as our point of departure since the model did spread widely throughout the world especially in the Commonwealth countries. Identify the organizational features on which the remarable success of the OU is based.

Like the OUUK many of the dedicated distance teaching universities developed in big universities, the beiggest of which John Daniel calls mega universities. Why distance education seems to lend itself to this model? (You may go back to OMDE 606 consult Hülsmann, 2004* for this.)

However, developing countries are quite different. St. Kidds and Nevis is quite different from Indonesia, and Swaziland can hardly compare to Brazil. Hence it is unlikely that 'one size fits all' and the Fordist model of mega universities is appropriate for all cases. Would it make sense to use distance education also in small states?

Then there are 'new kids on the block', the corporate and for profit providers which also make use of distance education. Are there specific organizational models?

Case studies

In OMDE 601 you have already conducted some web research to 'get a hang' of the different organizational models in distance education. We may link back to that. I suggest to look at (i) the OUUK to get some sort of a benchmark; (ii) to look at one or two of the many and influential isnstitutions which have adapted the OUUK model: I believe we could include IGNOU and BOU; (iii) look at different models in developing countries such as UNISA and CRTVU; (iv) include dual mode universities, e.g. the Australian Deakin University, and consortia models; and finally (v) take a short look at the 'new kids on the block' the commercial providers.

	The British Open University (OU) was founded 1969 and opened up a new area od distance education away from the image of the correspondence schools into the multimedia generation of distance education. In close cooperation with the BBC the OU created attractive study programes which helped to move distance education into the academic mainstream.
	Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was established in 1985 to democratise higher education. The university has about 1000,000 students.  48 Regional Centres 1156 Study Centres, all over India. State-of-the-art telecommunication systems have further helped in reaching out to the hitherto unreached sections of the society.
	The University of South Africa (UNISA) is the oldest distance teaching university of the world. As a university it was established in 1873 and beccame a pioneer of distance education at tertiary level in 1946. With ist 130000 students it is among the world's 10 mega universities.
	The Bangladesh Open University (BOU) is the
	China Central Radio and TV University (CCRTVU) is a dedicated open and distance education institution, under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Education of P.R. China which offers, on a nationwide basis, multi-media courses through radio, TV, print, audio-visual materials and computer networks.... At present CCRTVU has a total of 385 staff members, among whom 126 are full-time teachers and 181 are professionals and technicians. The number of professionals taking senior and associate professional post is 76. http://us.tom.com/english/2063.htm
	Established in 1989, University of Phoenix Online provides students with the same quality education, curriculum, faculty and resources offered to over 174,939 University of Phoenix students at over 134 campuses and learning centers across the U.S.

The cases are by no means representative. The may, however, provide a feeling for the different models.

Literature

Information about the university is widely available. An older one which concentrates on the important structural features you find in Harry & Rumble (1982). Latchem et al. (1999) provide information about Aisan distance teaching universities including CRTVU. BOU is especially treated by Rumble (1999).

• Butcher, N., Roberts, N. (2004). Costs, effectiveness, efficiency. In H. Perraton, Lentell, H. (Ed.), Policy for open and distance learning. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
• COL. (2003 (October)). A virtual university for small states of the Commonwealth. Commonwealth of Learning. Retrieved November, 5, 2003, from the World Wide Web: http://www.col.org/Consultancies/Seychelles_Virtual_Report.pdf
• Cunningham, S., Ryan, Y., Stedman, L., Tapsall, S., Bagdon, K., Flew, T., Coaldrake, P. (2000). The business of borderless education. Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs. Retrieved 12.12., 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.detya.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip00_3/execsum.htm
  
• Daniel, J. (1996). Mega Universities and knowledge media: Technology strategies for higher education. London: Kogan Page.
• Harry, K., Rumble, G. (Ed.). (1982). The distance teaching universities. Canberra: Croom Helm.
• Harry, K. (Ed.). (1999). Higher education through open and distance learning. London, New York: Routledge, COL.
• *Hülsmann, T. (2004). Costing open and distance learning. Carl von Ossietzky University in cooperation with The Commonwealth of Learning (COL). Retrieved, from the World Wide Web: http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/zef/cde/COLproject/web-col/
• Klees, S. J. (1995). The economics of educational technology. In M. Carnoy (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Economics of Education (pp. 398-406). Oxford: Pergamon.
• Latchem, C., Abdulla, S., Ding, X. (1999). Open and distance learning in Asian universities. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 12(2), 3-18.
• Murphy, D., Fung, Y. (1999). The Open University of Hong Kong. In K. Harry (Ed.), Higher education through open and distance learning. London, New York:: Routledge, COL.
  
• Naidoo, V., Casper Schutte, C. (1999). Virtual institutions on the African continent. In G. Farrell (Ed.), The development of virtual education: A global perspective. (pp. 89 - 124): COL
  
• Perraton, H. (2000). Open and distance learning in the developing world. London: Routledge.
• Rumble, G., Latchem, C. (2004). Organisational models for distance and open learning. In H. Perraton, Lentell, H. (Ed.), Policy for open and distance learning. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
• Rumble, G. (1999). The Bangladesh Open University: mission and promise. In K. Harry (Ed.), Higher education through open and distance learning. London, New York: Routledge, COL.
• UNESCO. (2002). Trends, policy and strategy considerations. Paris: UNESCO.
• Xingfu, D. (1994). Economic analysis of Radio and TV Universities education in China. In G. Dhanarajan, Ip, P.K., Yuen, K.S., Swales, C. (Ed.), Economics of Distance Education Recent Experience. Hongkong: Open Learning Institute Press.

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I think we can start from here. There are various avenues to explore.

Kind regards
Thomas