Managing the Changing Nature of Distance and Open Education at Institutional Level

Distance and open learning face changes that are similar to those confronting all higher education institutions, but have particular consequences in the case of off-campus delivery because the distinctive elements that have given purpose and assured quality in practice are likely to disappear. The responses necessary to this different operational context require management intervention, for the bases on which teaching staff are employed and the culture within which they operate make them unsuited and unlikely to adapt to the new order sufficiently rapidly.