Distance and Open Learning has been practised by more than 1300 institutions in 130 countries offering 70,000 odd courses to nearly 90 million students. Though the potential of distance and open learning offers the possibilities to institutions in the developing world to bring in educational reforms, the practising of it is checkmated by various factors and the cultural environment which still encourages teaching rather than self-learning. The implications of all these are discussed in the book by Prof. Ramanujam, the authority on the subject.
Dr. P R Ramanujam is Professor of Distance Education, and Director in the Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. He earned his Ph. D from the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) Hyderabad, India.
Preface, acknowledgements, Distance education in 21st century: implications for developing countries, Technology in distance education: potential, access and actual use, Sharing of resources: a necessity for distance education institutions in process of globalisation, Organisational structures and work culture of distance education institutions, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Distance education in India, an appraisal, Bibliography.