Selected COL Publications
Reporting documents (available free-of-charge and through COL’s Web site):

Summary Report 1994 -1996. Replacing “annual reports” for this period, COL has published and
distributed its Summary Report 1994 — 1996. The document provides readers with summary
information on COL’s programme activities and financial positions from Jan. 1, 1994 to June 30, 1996.

Connections, four-page, quarterly newsletter (published since March 1996)
COL’s Common Wealth, an introductory brochure (published in May 1997)
Monographs (research and meeting reports)

Training and Professional Development of Distance Educators: A resource book of articles.
Prepared in co-operation with the International Centre for Distance Learning (UK Open University),
with the financial assistance of the UK Department for International Development, 1997. This is a
collection of articles, conference papers and reports on distance educator training activities prepared
primarily for use in developing countries where identification of, and access to, relevant literature can
be limited. (289 pages)
ET2000 Conference Papers. The Commonwealth of Learning, 1997. Educational Technology 2000:
A Global Vision for Open and Distance Learning, held in August 1996, was an opportunity for nearly
200 educators and technologists from 38 countries to gather in Singapore to share, discuss and debate
many of the important issues in open and distance learning. This collection of keynote addresses and
conference papers is rich in diversity, containing thoughtful analyses and challenges for the future.
Further information, including a list of papers and opening remarks by COL Chairman, Dr. H. Ian
Macdonald, is available at: http://www.col.org/et2000.htm. (387 pages; Cdn. $25.00 plus shipping)
Perspectives on Distance Education: Quality assurance in higher education - selected case studies.
Edited by Alan Tait, 1997. This publication marks the first collection to emerge from the work of the
COL/ICDE quality assurance research group, chaired jointly by Jocelyn Calvert (Deakin University)
and Alan Tait (UK Open University). It consists of a set of case studies of quality assurance practices
in distance teaching universities, along with an introductory chapter by the editor. These case studies
represent a significant addition to existing work in the field, particularly at a time when universities in
many parts of the world and distance teaching universities, both new and established, are placing great
emphasis on reviewing and, where necessary, revising what they do in accordance with established
practices and principles of quality assurance. (88 pages)

Library Services to Distance Learners in the Commonwealth. Edited by Elizabeth Watson and Neela
Jagannathan, 1997. While distance education is an effective and versatile means of addressing the
problems of human resource development in the Commonwealth, an important concern is adequate and
appropriate services to support distance students. There is a growing recognition that the provision of
good library services is a crucial factor in determining the quality of distance education. The purpose of
this collection of 22 articles is to acquaint readers with distance librarianship as it is practised through­
out the Commonwealth. Case studies cover institutions in both developed and developing countries
located in Africa, Australia, Britain, Canada, the Caribbean, India, and New Zealand. All of the
contributors are distance education/librarianship practitioners. The book will be of value to distance
librarians, educators, administrators and planners as well as to library school students. (247 pages)
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Selected COL Publications... (page 3)

Perspectives on Distance Education: Distance Education in India. Abhimanyu Singh, Director,
Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India; 1992. (49 pages)
Perspectives on Distance Education: Student Support Services: Towards More Responsive Systems.
Edited by Robert Sweet, 1993. A literature review builds a context for changes in student support
services by outlining developments in the mandate, operating principles, and practices, and curricular
emphases of the distance teaching universities. Eight case studies describe the operation of student
support services at institutions represented at a symposium convened by COL in Delhi, India, in June
1992: four open universities in India, the new distance education programme at Bangladesh’s national
university, and institutions in two non-Commonwealth countries, Thailand and Indonesia. The case
studies are followed by a summary of issues raised in the discussions of the cases presented at the
symposium. Both the literature and the cases document attempts to make student service systems more
responsive to the needs of learners. The report concludes with a list of research priorities aimed at the
development of more responsive support services. (115 pages)

Administrative Structures for Distance Education. Hilary Perraton, 1991. The purpose of this book
is to help anyone considering the use of distance education and trying to decide how it should be
organised. The acclaimed success of the world’s 25+ open universities gives the impression that
learning at a distance demands the establishment of an open university. But, in practice, there are many
different ways in which governments, universities, or private bodies can teach students at a distance.
The book explores and compares the options that may be possible. Jointly published by the
Commonwealth Secretariat and The Commonwealth of Learning (29 pages)

Perspectives on Distance Education: Report of a Round Table on Training Distance Educators
(COL Headquarters, Canada, 2 - 6 April 1990)-, October 1990. (79 pages)
Curriculum and course material development

Theoretical Perspectives on Gender and Development. This core module was collaboratively
developed and written by the Centre for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West
Indies, the International Women’s Tribune Centre in New York, and the Summer Institute for Gender
and Development (a joint project of Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie Universities in Canada) through a
project managed and co-ordinated by COL and funded with the aid of a grant from Canada’s
International Development Research Centre. This module focuses on the theoretical justification for
examining the specific roles and contributions of women to development initiatives. 1996 (182 pages)

Technical and Vocational Teacher Training Core Curriculum. Second edition, 1998. This document
was produced with technical vocational education and training representation from 14 countries and
substantive input from eight Caribbean technical colleges and administrative bodies, in collaboration
with CARICOM. It provides a distance education training programme for technical and vocational
teachers, addressing the core pedagogical needs of the four levels of teachers in this field. (104 pages)
Originally published in 1995.

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Producing Gender Sensitive Learning Materials: A Handbook for Educators. Prepared by Janet
Jenkins, 1995. This unique resource book is designed to be used by those developing distance learning
materials to assist in identifying gender bias concerns and improving capacity for addressing them.
Discussion and case studies cover not only course materials, but also the manner in which educational
issues are approached. For example, course calendars and brochures are examined to find ways in
which opportunities for education and training can be “advertised” so that it is clear that women are
encouraged to take part. The handbook can be used for self-study purposes, as a policy guide for
administrator, or as a resource for workshops in course writing and instructional design. (86 pages)
Water Safe: An Introduction to Water Quality Issues. A coursebook for a self-study programme that
will help in the understanding of the importance of good, clean, and safe water in everyday lives, but
particularly when used in the preparation of food. 1994. (77 pages)

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Selected COL Publications... (page 4)

Women: Key Partners in Sustainable and Equitable Development. Resource materials on women
and sustainable development. Prepared by Waafas Ofosu-Amaah, 1994. This report responds to
Commonwealth mandates by producing training materials on women and sustainable development. It
extrapolates, from selected “success stories,” the common lessons for learning and teaching about the
effective integration of environment and gender. The success stories demonstrate that women have
developed new approaches to environmentally sound energy production in rural areas, improved
conservation of energy in community settings, found ways to deal with waste economically and safely
(whether by recycling or responsible consumer behaviour) and re-introduced effective indigenous
methods that are economically feasible and environmentally sustainable. These training materials are
presented in a format that will make them adaptable for use by a variety of interested parties, from
policy makers to practitioners, and in a variety of settings, from classroom instruction to radio
broadcasts. (113 pages)
Directories

Directory of Courses and Materials for Training in Distance Education (fourth Edition, 1995).
Revised, and updated in both content and design, this directory describes materials and programmes
that have been developed by distance education trainers, working at all levels and sectors of public
educational systems throughout the Commonwealth. Pricing and contact information is also included.
The listings are organised under six categories: introduction to distance education, management and
administration, instructional design, technology in distance education, student support and tutor
training, research and evaluation, and full programmes of study. Each category is also divided into two
sections: self-instructional materials and face-to-face courses. (64 pages)
European Distance Education: A Handbook of Current European Programmes and Networks.
Prepared by Janet Jenkins, 1994. The purpose of this handbook is to provide accessible information to
personnel in ministries, educational institutions and other bodies concerned with education and training
in order to inform them of new developments in Europe and enable them to select, make contact with
and obtain further information about programmes of interest as possible models or as potential partners
in development. (60 pages)
Colleges Reaching Out: Report on the Status of Distance Education in Canadian Colleges and
Technical Institutes. Edited by Patricia McWilliams, 1994. This report provides a “snap-shot” of the
scope and breadth of distance education activities in the college sector in Canada. The first section
presents the institutional and programming information collected through a survey distributed to the
120 Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) member colleges. The second section
illustrates notable approaches to programming, technology applications and other areas through case
studies and issue papers drawn from a cross-section of colleges and regions. (41 pages, plus
appendices)

November 1998
Requests for COL publications may be sent directly to: COL Customer Service, c/o the Open Learning
Agency of BC, 4355 Mathissi Place, Burnaby BC V5G 4S8 Canada; tel: 604.431.3210; fax:
604.431.3381; e-mail: catalogue@ola.bc.ca. Nominal charges apply to orders from developed, newly
developed and non-Commonwealth countries — usually Cdn.$12.00 plus shipping. Orders must be
accompanied by an institutional purchase order, be pre-paid in either Canadian or US funds, or
charged to VISA or MasterCard accounts.
COL is an international organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage
the development and sharing of open learning/distance education resources and technologies.
Information appearing above may be reproduced with acknowledgement to The Commonwealth of
Learning. Further details may be obtained by contacting COL’s Public Affairs Office, or visiting our
World Wide Web site.

Selected COL Publications... (page 2)

The Use ofDistance Learning in Non-Formal Education — a report on a survey carried out for The
Commonwealth of Learning by the International Extension College, UK. Prepared by Dr. Tony Dodds,
1996. The report documents information on 73 projects, in 56 developing countries and 17
industrialised countries, and presents a number of conclusions and proposals for further action. The
survey found that there is considerable activity in non-formal distance education but that it is not well
documented. It notes that non-formal distance education projects are often poorly funded, which often
leads to low quality, disappointing results, and lack of sustainability. Jointly published by The
Commonwealth of Learning and International Extension College. (63 pages)

Raising Awareness on Biodiversity: Commonwealth Examples. Edited by Walter Leal Filho, Clare
Dykes, and Zena Murphy, 1996. In this book, readers will find critical analyses of the means that need
to be employed to ensure that an environmental education dimension is implemented as part of
biodiversity conservation projects. It describes state-of-the-art initiatives aimed at raising awareness on
biodiversity in selected Commonwealth nations. Co-published with the European Research and
Training Centre on Environmental Education. (134 pages)

Barriers to Participation of Women in Technological Education and the Role of Distance Education.
_____ COL Occasional Paper, 1995. Dr. Karen Evens, Director of Graduate Studies in Education, University
of Surrey (UK) and Associate Director of Surrey University Centre for Commonwealth and European
Education and Development (SUCCEED). An abridgement is also available.
Education for the Future — A Generic Version of the Report of a Caribbean Task Force on
Education. COL/Caricom, 1995. Through analyses undertaken by a Caricom Advisory Task Force, a
far-reaching policy document was produced which outlines a coherent approach to educational
development in the Caribbean region. As the document contains much that has relevance and validity
beyond the Caribbean, and especially in small island states, COL has produced a generic version of the
report for wider circulation. It is hoped that the conclusions and recommendations may provide a
stimulus for critical reflection in other parts of the Commonwealth. (41 pages)

Perspectives on Distance Education: Quality Assurance in Higher Education. Edited by
Prof. Prakash M. Deshpande and Dr. Ian Mugridge, 1994. Papers presented to a symposium on quality
assurance (New Delhi, India; July 1994), including a commissioned literature review on quality
assurance as well a series of articles written by experts in Australia, New Zealand and India. (105 pgs)
Open Schooling: Selected Experiences. Edited by Susan Phillips and Mannar Mukhopadhyay, 1994.
A series of case studies on open schooling, together with a summary and conclusions. (175 pages)

Perspectives on Distance Education: The Funding of Open Universities. Edited by Dr. Ian
Mugridge, 1994. A collection of case studies, based on papers prepared for the COL/Intemational
Council for Distance Education (ICDE) symposium on funding and costing of open universities at the
Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) conference in Hong Kong (Nov. 1993). (122 pages)
Roles and Competencies in Distance Education. Prepared by Ms. Jennifer O’Rourke, 1993. This
report is designed to be used by planners, policy makers and other decision makers who are
instrumental in setting up and/or managing a distance education system, and who are planning for
staffing and training needs. It provides guidelines on the basic tasks involved in managing a distance
education programme and the staffing required to handle those tasks. (36 pages)

Perspectives on Teacher Education: Teacher Education in Science, Mathematics and
Technical/Vocational Subjects (Report of a Round Table on Teacher Education convened by The
Commonwealth ofLearning in Vancouver, June 1992). Eighteen case studies. (193 pages)
Perspectives on Distance Education: Distance Education in Single and Dual Mode Universities.
Papers presented to a Symposium on Reforms in Higher Education (New Delhi, August 1992). Edited
by Dr. Ian Mugridge, 1992. (158 pages)
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