On the Pedagogy of Open and Distance Learning Systems

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pedagogical issues concerning Open and Distance Learning (ODL) systems through a critical review of the relevant published work. The review categorized articles into three categories, namely theoretical approaches, technological approaches and evaluation studies. The review showed that open and distance learning is mainly technology driven. Researchers exploit the technological features of Information and Communication Technologies for the design and development of ODL environments, without paying much attention to and applying theoretical models, pedagogical principles and instructional goals. They rather seem to follow the conventional, general instructional design guidelines concerning stand-alone educational software applications, mostly based on hypermedia systems. The main theoretical approach implied by the majority of the published work is constructivism together with collaborative learning, without referring to or applying social constructivism. Our proposal for effective open and distance learning environments is the exploitation of the tools Information and Communication Technologies offer in a constructivist environment involving specific didactic goals and learning outcomes. INTRODUCTION Open and Distance Education or Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is a quite old approach to education. Distance learning has a history of over a century involving different teaching approaches and following the technological evolution concerning the delivery of educational material and the communication between learners and instructors. Moore and Kearsley have defined distance education as ‘planned learning that normally occurs in a different place from teaching and as a result requires special techniques of course design, special instructional techniques, special methods of communication by electronic and other technology, as well as organizational and administrative arrangements’ (1996). This definition incorporates all the components of distance education, modifying it from face to face education with the addition of certain techniques for each component. The term distance although a necessity, puts limitations that concern not only technological aspects, but also pedagogic such as course and instruction design. Distance education has been extended by the term open, that is a desired characteristic. Open education means open to everyone, but the importance of the term hides in pedagogy and didactics, implying open learning environments. Something that is not evident from the above definition is the generalized idea beyond education,