Assessing the quality of open and distance learning courses
Clarke, Alan. NIACE, London 2001 (www.niace.org.uk) 28pp, £5.95.
A short guide intended for those choosing materials for others to follow.
The benefits for those selecting is clear: the chance to save money, time, effort and improve results.
The checklist at the end is a nice feature, but very disappointingly ODL QC is absent from the "Useful Contacts" section. (An omission that the author has agreed to rectify in the next edition).
Supporting students in Open and Distance Learning
Simpson, Ormond, Kogan Page, London, 2001. 186 pp, £18.99
A thought-provoking and well-written book, which deals effectively with how and why to support students using open and distance learning methods.
Simpson's case is that "student support" actually encompasses a huge range of tasks, which need to be dealt with in a planned systematic manner. Too often aspects of this vital function fall to over stretched admin staff.
Chapter 5 explores methods of delivering this support in detail and is pragmatic about the advantages and limitations of each.
Much to think about, such as the importance of support from a learner's partner, friends and family and how this can be enhanced.
Several chapters offer help with staff training and job roles, whilst numerous examples of leaflets and quizzes throughout provide ideas for how to put the theory into practice.
Why re-evaluate student support in open and distance learning? That is made clear.
The student body is becoming more diverse and has more diverse needs, and students are more assertive. At the same time, greater competition from more providers, mean such support makes economic and practical sense.
In short, "student support works: […] it is a necessary and cost-effective way of retaining students as well as an essential humanizing element of any open and distance-learning system."
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Promoting Quality in Open and Distance Learning
