Online and Distance Education for a Connected World

Learning at a distance and learning online are growing in scale and importance in higher education, presenting opportunities for large scale, inclusive, flexible and engaging learning. These modes of learning swept the world in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The many challenges of providing effective education online and remotely have been acknowledged, particularly by those who rapidly jumped into online and distance education during the crisis.

This volume, edited by the University of London’s Centre for Online and Distance Education, addresses the practice and theory of online and distance education, building on knowledge and expertise developed in the University over some 150 years. The University is currently providing distance transnational education to around 50,000 students in more than 180 countries around the world. Throughout the book, contributors explore important principles and highlight successful practices in areas including course design and pedagogy, online assessment, open education, inclusive practice, and enabling student voice. Case studies illustrate prominent issues and approaches. Together, the chapters offer current and future leaders and practitioners a practical, productive, practice- and theory-informed account of the present and likely future state of online and distance higher education worldwide.

List of figures
List of tables
Notes on editors and contributors

Preface: Learning from over 150 years of distance education Mary Stiasny and Michael Davis

Centre for Online and Distance Education
Linda Amrane-Cooper

1 Online, distance, blended. It’s all just education
Stephen Brown

Section 1: Planning distance education

Introduction to Section 1
Stephen Brown

2 The student voice
Pete Cannell and Julie Voce

3 Exploring digital learning
J. Simon Rofe

4 Marketing digital education for an inclusive learning society
Endrit Kromidha and Benedetta Cappellini

5 Supporting employability
David Winter

6 Strategic models for distance education
Philip Powell, Mary Stiasny and Michael Davis

7 Open and distance learning in Nigeria: a case study
Stephen Brown and David Baume

Section 2: Doing distance education

Introduction to Section 2
Stephen Brown

8 Course design, pedagogy and staff development
David Baume and Matthew Phillpott

9 Interactive social learning and fostering learning communities
Ayona Silva-Fletcher and Christine Thuranira-McKeever

10 The Icarus simulation tool: a case study
Lynsie Chew and Alan Parkinson

11 Digitally supported assessment
Leo Havemann, Simon Katan, Edward Anstead, Marco Gillies, Joanna Stroud and Sarah Sherman

12 Taking assessment online – systems, issues and practices: a case study
Linda Amrane-Cooper, David Baume, Stylianos Hatzipanagos, Gwyneth Hughes and Alan Tait

13 Inclusive practice
Shoshi Ish-Horowicz, Diana Maniati, Nic Charlton, Danielle Johnson, Beatrice Hyams, Sarah Sherman and Sarah Gonnet

14 Retention and success: approaches and tools for making a difference
Gwyneth Hughes and Jo Harris

15 MOOCs for public health: a case study
Sally Parsley and Daksha Patel

16 Practising open education
Daksha Patel, Sally Parsley, Pete Cannell and Leo Havemann

17 Building the online library
Matthew Phillpott, Sandra Tury and Shoshi Ish-Horowicz

Section 3: Researching and evaluating distance education

Introduction to Section 3
Stephen Brown

18 Academic development, research and practice in distance education
David Baume

19 Monitoring and evaluating distance education
David Baume

20 Designing the future
Stephen Brown

Index