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PUBLICATIONS
World review of distance education and open learning: A Commonwealth of Learning book series
The World review of distance and open learning is an annual series, published by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group) on behalf of the Commonwealth of Learning, and launched in 1999. IRFOL is the managing editor of the series. Each book in the series concentrates on a single theme so that the volumes build up into a major series of works of record. The latest in the series - Volume 6 - was published in November 2005.
More about the series >>
Volume 1 - Higher Education through Open and Distance Learning >>
Volume 2 - Basic Education at a Distance >>
Volume 3 - Teacher education through open and distance learning >>
Volume 4 - Policy for open and distance learning >>
Volume 5 - Vocational Training through Distance Education: A Policy Perspective >>
Volume 6 - Strategies for Sustainable Open and Distance Learning >>
Obtainable from all good bookshops.
Strengthening Basic Education through Open and Distance Learning: How Open Schooling Contributes - 2004
This report, commissioned by the Department for International Development, is a comparative research study examining the ways in which open and distance learning is used to strengthen basic education in four countries in Asia and Africa. Specifically the study focuses on the role of open schooling in basic education.
Download executive summary of the report (PDF - 85 KB) >>
Models for open and distance learning - 2003
This series of guides to good practice analyses policy issues about the use of open and distance learning and of information and communication technologies in education.
Teacher education and training guide (PDF - 552 KB) >>
This first guide looks at the way open and distance learning has been used for the education and training of teachers. It draws heavily on research carried out by IRFOL for the Department for International Development in Britain and for UNESCO.
Globalisation, education and distance education guide (PDF- 477 KB) >>
This wide-ranging review on globalisation, education and distance education has been conceived in the context of the debate about the influence of the General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS), which has important but controversial implications for education. This applies to both industrial countries and low-income countries and all lying between.
Teacher Education Guidelines: Using Open and Distance Learning - 2001
The handbook describes how to plan for distance learning, how to choose the appropriate technologies, how to fund them, how to teach classroom skills and how to assess them. It focuses on new and old technologies; radio and television, and computers as well as print. It also suggests other reports and websites that provide information and help. UNESCO are in the process of having the Guidelines translated into French, Arabic and Spanish.
Download handbook at
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001253/125396e.pdf
Teacher education through distance learning: technology, curriculum, evaluation and cost - 2001
A report including eleven case studies carried out for UNESCO. The countries studied are Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Egypt, India, Mongolia, Nigeria, South Africa (two studies) and the United Kingdom.
Download report at
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001242/124208e.pdf
Teaching the teachers - 2000
Author: Hilary Perraton
Many countries in subsaharan Africa have far fewer teachers than they need to achieve the goals of education for all by 2015. Many of the existing teachers have themselves had a limited background education and specialist teacher training. Existing colleges are not training enough teachers to fill the gap. Furthermore, conventional teacher training tends to be relatively expensive. Even where its content is similar to that of secondary education, its costs are often several times the cost of secondary education. This report was commissioned for the KnowledgeBank as part of the Imfundo project of the Department for International Development.
Download report (PDF - 166 KB) >>
Distance education in the E-9 countries - 2001
The development and future of distance education programmes in the nine high-population countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan).
Download report at
http://www.unesco.org/education/e9/distance_ed.pdf
The use of distance education for teachers - 2001
This report, commissioned by the Department for International Development, was designed to map the current use of distance education for teachers, looking for evidence internationally but drawing in particular from experience in the south. Its purpose is to see how far distance education can help with the problems of teacher shortage, gender imbalance, and teaching quality that have a bearing on meeting the international education for all targets.
Download report (PDF - 899 KB) >>
Applying new technologies and cost-effective delivery systems in basic education - 2000
Authors: Hilary Perraton and Charlotte Creed
Read more about this publication >>
Download full thematic study at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001234/123482e.pdf
Read Executive Summary at
http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/efa_2000
_assess/studies/techno_1_summary.shtml
Available from UNESCO free of charge.
International Research Foundation for Open Learning 1995 - 2000
A report of the development of IRFOL from a proposal made by Lord Young of Dartington in 1995 to its current programme of research.
Download report (PDF - 180 KB) >>
The costs of open learning: a handbook - 2000
Author: Thomas Hulsmann
The European Commission contracted IRFOL to carry out a project investigating the cost-effectiveness of open and distance learning, mainly in tertiary education, in Europe. The work was completed over two years, during which we carried out eleven case studies of institutions in eight European Union member states. The first stage of the project was a 'Literature review on cost-effectiveness in open and distance learning systems: working document'. Some of the results or our work were then summarised in a DFEE publication 'Planning and evaluating systems of open and distance learning'. The handbook is the report of the entire project.
Published by: Published by BIS (Bibliotheks -und Informationssystem der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg), Oldenburg. ISBN: 3-8142-0724-6.
Price: £8.00. Available from IRFOL.
Reaching the unreached through distance education: costs, outcomes and sustainability
Author: Palitha Edirisingha
This is a paper presented at the regional seminar on the use of Simple and modern media for rural education, sponsored by the UNESCO Regional Office in Beijing, Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and the Ministry of Education, PRC, held in Beijing PRC, 12-16 Dec 1999. It presents some early conclusions of IRFOL's two-year basic education research project.
Download paper (PDF - 239 KB) >>
Choosing technologies for education - 1991
Author: Hilary Perraton
TEL-isphere 99 conference, Barbados, November 1999.
Download report (PDF - 159 KB)
The international research agenda: A call for partnership - 1999
Author: Hilary Perraton
13th AAOU Conference October 1999, Beijing , China , Reference No. 912
Download report (PDF - 179 KB) >>
Collaboration and partnership in strengthening institutional research - 1999
Author: Hilary Perraton
AAOU99 Pre-conference Workshop at OUHK
Download report (PDF - 164 KB) >>
Out of school strategies for proper education - 1999
Author: Hilary Perraton
Oxford International Conference on Education and Development, Oxford, September 1999.
Download report (PDF - 131 KB) >>
Non-formal education in Thailand - 1999
Author: Dr Palithra Edirisingha
In the context of IRFOL's research on basic education this paper provides a unique account of the large-scale, but under-reported, work of the Department of Non-Formal Education in Thailand, looking at its methods, outcomes and costs.
Download report (PDF - 184 KB) >>
Distance education practice: training and rewarding authors - 1999
Authors: Hilary Perraton and Charlotte Creed
This report is published by the Department for International Development, which commissioned two studies carried out by IRFOL in association with overseas partners. The report addresses the critical management question: how do we train and reward authors of distance-learning materials so that they produce work of high quality and deliver it on time. The reports are based on surveys of international practice undertaken by IRFOL.
Download report (PDF - 236 KB) >>
Open and distance learning for basic and non-formal education in developing countries - 1999
Author: Dr Palithra Edirisingha
IRFOL is reviewing the use of open and distance learning for basic education. This paper describes the work-in-progress paper and was presented at the Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (1-5 March 1999 in Brunei). It presents the rationale of the research, the research questions, and the progress of the research.
Download paper (PDF - 208 KB) >>
Planning and evaluating systems of open and distance learning - Report to the Department for Education and Employment by IRFOL - 1998
Authors: Hilary Perraton and Thomas Hülsmann
This report was commissioned by the Department for Education and Employment and is a DfEE Training Technology Unit publication. The commission arose from the Department's interest in organisational models for open and distance learning, and in options for choosing between teaching technologies. The report summarises available data on the costs of various media and incorporates an evaluative framework for proposals to adopt open and distance learning approaches.
Download report (PDF - 306 KB) >>
Review of Open and Distance Learning Research in Primary and Adult Basic Education - 1998
Author: Christopher Yates
One of a series of thematic and geographical reviews that were commissioned as part of IRFOL's initial feasibility study. The report describes and assesses world experience of using open and distance learning for basic education both in-school, to raise the quality of education for children, out-of-school for adults, and through establishing parallel systems of schooling, especially at junior secondary level.
Download report (PDF - 326 KB) >>
The cost effectiveness of distance education for primary teacher training - 1997
Author: Hilary Perraton
Reproduced by kind permission of the Commonwealth of Learning and the Asian Development Bank. The purpose of the paper is to guide the planning of distance education programmes for teacher training. Many teacher-training programmes have sought a balance between general education, teaching in relation to specific subjects, classroom methods, and teaching about children, education and pedagogy. The balance between these different elements has varied according to the target audience and programme aims. A number of different models have been developed for integrating the supervision and assessment of classroom practice with other elements.
Download report (PDF - 242 KB) >>
Literature review on cost-effectiveness in ODL systems - 1997
Author: T. Huelsmann
IRFOL was contracted by the European Commission to report on the cost effectiveness of open and distance learning within Europe. One early activity within this work was to carry out a critical review of the existing literature, which is published here.
Download report (PDF - 443 KB) >>
International research in open and distance learning: report of a feasibility study - 1997
Author: Hilary Perraton
This is a report of the feasibility study carried out before the formal establishment of the International Research Foundation for Open Learning. It reviews the existing research literature on open and distance learning and identifies functions for the new Foundation: to carry out, stimulate and support research in open and distance learning, to facilitate the work of researchers in this area, to publish the results of research, and to support training in research methods.
ISBN: 0 9532446 0 1
Price: £5.00. Available from IRFOL.
European research in distance education - 1997
Author: H P Baumeister
Download report (PDF - 213 KB) >>
Asian research on open and distance learning - 1997
Authors: D. Murphy and K.S. Yuen
Download report (PDF - 181 KB) >>
Australasian research on open and distance learning - 1997
Author: M.Walker
These three geographical reviews, carried out within the framework of the IRFOL feasibility study, reported on the major research traditions and activities within each of their regions.
Download report (PDF - 319 KB) >>
