Open universities and distance education programmes
As outlined in article Open Universities: A Revolution in Lifelong Learning, at most open universities, a substantial portion of the students are seeking regular university degrees, and another significant portion are engaged in lifelong learning, advancing their knowledge and skills for occupational, family, and personal purposes. Open universities are generally distinguished from traditional universities in at least three ways:
- They are open to a broad segment of the population; usually serving those from social groups that previously had not access to higher education and sometimes admitting students regardless of their prior educational credentials
- They are open in the courses they offer, usually including traditional college courses, career-development courses, and personal growth courses
- They are open to different times and places of study; sometimes the time and place is determined entirely by the student
Open universities have based their instruction on self-study printed materials, often called "correspondence materials" because they are sent through the mail system. They include texts, study guides, and workbooks. Printed materials are often supplemented with small laboratory kits for science courses. Face-to-face instruction happens periodically in geographically dispersed study centres, and sometimes radio, telephone, television, and video are used for course delivery and instructor-student communication. The Internet is now being adopted by some for instructional and promotional purposes, but access in developing countries is still extremely limited.