What is Open and Distance Education?
Open
and distance learning (ODL) has been interpreted differently and has attracted
various approaches in its realization (CoL, 1999: 2). The terms “open and
distance learning” represent approaches that focus on opening access to
education and training provision, freeing learners from the constraints of time
and place, and offering flexible learning opportunities to individuals and
group of learners (Sarkhel, 2014).
The term openness implies the availability of
education to anyone, anywhere, anytime without social, physical, or geographical
constraints. In essence, ODL means any learning situation where the learner and
the teacher are not in the same geographical place.
Fig. 1 Participants at a previous ODeL workshop organized by Commonwealth of Learning.
Below are some of the terms that are used by different institutions to refer to Open and distance Learning:
Fig. 1 Terms related to open and distance learning. (CoL, 1999: 3-7)
Last modified: Saturday, 18 February 2023, 6:17 AM