Open & Distance Learning (ODL) for Development

Open learning describes policies and practices that permit entry to learning with no barriers or minimal barriers of age, gender or time while recognising prior learning. Distance education is the delivery of learning or training to learners who are separated, mostly by time and space, from those who are teaching and training. Conceptually distinct, yet complementary, these two phenomena come together in the term open and distance learning (ODL).

ODL can be integrated with traditional approaches to education to create flexible learning, but can also operate independently. Online learning, eLearning and virtual education emerged as new terms in recent years. At first they assumed that learners were connected to computers but now they refer more generally to ODL that uses various media and information and communications technologies (ICTs).

ODL is capable of reaching marginalised and under-represented groups; whether their barriers to education are social, political or geographical. ODL can be conducted at scale with consistency. It becomes possible to widen access to education and raise its quality at the same time. This explains the powerful potential of ODL for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Achieving the MDGs will require a massive expansion of human learning. Traditional methods of education and training cannot address the scope and scale of the task. Technology has already revolutionised other areas of human life and the world must now harness it to learning and teaching.

The Commonwealth of Learning is helping countries introduce new approaches and technologies in such a way as to make them self-replicating.

Learning is our "common wealth".