This paper describes the effects of collaborative support on groups of distance learners of General Certificate of Secondary Education mathematics. Two experiments are described. In each case, learners were provided with teleconferencing with peers, experts and mentors in addition to structured study materials. No improvements were noticed in course completion rates and the learners were seen to disengage from the teleconference over time. When provided with a virtual learning environment, learners were, once again, found not to use the practice or support features of the system. The results from our experiments are intriguing in that they seem to indicate that scaffolding in the form of structured material, collaborative environments, and a virtual learning environment does not seem to affect performance in any way other than an improvement in revenue realisation.

Current public health training infrastructure and facilitators in most developing nations are insufficient relative to public health service delivery needs. We examined five areas of student perceptions of a web-based public health learning initiative, the Peoples-uni, which focused on: reasons for enrolling, learning expectations; technical aspects of course modules; usefulness of prescribed learning materials; and encumbrances to participation in learning activities amongst the second cohort to enrol as students. Students were generally positive about the experience, with the majority wishing to gain academic credit, continue with the course, and recommend it to others. Other issues were identified on which the course organisers have subsequently acted, such as improved tutor training.

The economic proverb ‘There is no such thing such as a free lunch’ applies also to open educational resources (OER). In recent years, several authors have used revenue models and business models to analyse the different sources of possible funding for OER. In this article the business models of Osterwalder and Chesbrough are combined with research on the motives of the participants of OER to analyse possible funding models. If the motives of governments (knowledge economy), educational institutions (efficiency, marketing), individual producers (reputation, academic interests) and users (intermediary educational products, learning) are combined, it is shown that the only long-term sustainable independent business model is based on subsidies. However, this conclusion depends both on the definition of openness (in the sense of at no cost) and on motives. More research on both aspects could alter these conclusions.

This paper describes the implementation of an online discussion forum as a means of facilitating case-based learning in an intermediate financial accounting course. The paper commences with a review of case-based learning literature and the use of online discussions as a delivery platform, linking these pedagogical approaches to the emerging needs and learning styles of the current generation of ‘digital’ students. The paper then describes the context in which the research takes place, including the nature of the course, its learning objectives and its educational philosophy, and describes the rationale for the implementation and usage of the online discussion forum. Survey data were collected and analysed from a single student cohort to assess student perceptions of the benefits and limitations of case studies and the usage of online discussion groups to augment case-based learning. The findings suggest that students perceive numerous benefits associated with case-based online discussions, including being exposed to other students’ opinions, improving their ability to critically review case information, motivation to consult additional non-course related material and the convenience of the technology utilised.

Universities are increasingly using advanced video-conferencing environments to interact for teaching and research purposes at a distance and in situations that combine distant participants with those face-to-face. Those who use these technologies expect professional development support to do so but we do not yet have a comprehensive research platform on which to base this support. The research described here sought to explore research protocols that could enrich our understanding of this domain, based on exploratory quantitative analyses of presenters’ behaviours and participants’ perceptions of presentations. It identified a number of presenter-behaviours that may predict overall participant perceptions and that may discriminate between categories of perceived presentation quality. We conclude that this research approach may be capable of producing realistic guidelines for presenters who operate in distance settings but that these do need to address the particular circumstances in which presenters find themselves.

Laboratory experiments are often considered the defining characteristic of science courses. Such activities provide students with real‐world contexts for applying scientific concepts, while also allowing them to develop scientific ways of thinking and promoting an interest in science. In recent years, an increasing number of campuses have moved their instruction to the online learning environment. Consequently, in the sciences there is a growing need to develop best practices related to the integration of laboratory‐based activities with online science coursework. This research study explored how online students engaged in scientific processes as they conducted relevant and real‐world experiments from their own locations. An analysis of three online science courses revealed that laboratory experiments can be performed successfully by distance learning students.

This paper presents and discusses the initial findings of a mobile language learning project undertaken in the context of an undergraduate distance‐learning French language programme at The Open University (UK). The overall objective of the project was to investigate students’ experiences when using their own portable devices for additional listening and speaking practice within a course. Experience data were collected via weekly online questionnaires, recorded oral feedback and email. The use of iPods and MP3 players was quickly adopted by project participants; but whilst the challenge and the authentic aspect of doing activities on the phone appealed to some learners, we conclude that other learners will need to be helped towards recognising the specific value of this type of practice as a stepping stone towards authentic communication. We suggest further areas of investigation and potential applications.

When asked what they would find most helpful to enable them to use technologies more in their teaching, most teachers say ‘give me examples, in my subject area’ and ‘point me to relevant people I can discuss these issues with’. Web 2.0 technologies – with their emphasis on sharing, networking and user production – seem to offer a potential solution. However uptake and use of Web 2.0 sites such as blogs, social networking and wikis by teachers for sharing and discussing practice has being marginal so far. This paper focuses on work we are undertaking as part of the Open University Learning Design Initiative (http://ouldi.open.ac.uk) and the Hewlett‐funded Olnet initiative (http://olnet.org). A key focus of our work is the development of tools, methods and approaches to support the design of innovative learning activities and open educational resources. In this paper I want to focus on one strand of our work; namely, how to leverage technologies to promote better sharing and discussion of learning and teaching ideas and designs.

Distance education and open learning are western innovations, representing the educational concepts, cultures and societies of western countries. The introduction of distance education and the adoption of open learning in China’s radio and TV universities are by no means an indication that they will and can be copied wholesale. Open and distance learning has to be developed in accordance with the specific political, social, cultural and economic environments in the Chinese context. Thus, it represents an ever‐changing and evolving process in which theory and practice interact with each other.