Open and distance learning has seen an increase in recent decades due to changes in education. Open and distance learning is a form of education that takes place over long periods of space without being confined by the walls of a building or other physical space. Open and distance learning education is open courseware that students can access through any device, just as it sounds. According to one study, 89% of institutions taught  via online mode in 2014. Online open and distance learning programs of many different universities are now offered for free, making them accessible to all.

Significant trends in Open and Distance Learning education:

The open and distance learning sector has grown substantially over the last several years. For instance, KPMG research has shown that enrollments are rising exponentially for the open learning sector in the Asia Pacific region. This includes countries such as South Korea and Japan. These countries have witnessed the growth and have seen their tuition costs drop significantly due to open and distance learning with flexible payment plans between institutions. Due to its accessibility, the education system is seeing a growth in the number of people who can access education. It is flexible, easy to use, and can take classes from anywhere. The open courseware format is also available in print, allowing students to sit down at their own pace and access information when they get home or onwards.

History of Open and Distance Learning:

Historically, distance education has been around for a long time. For example, correspondence courses have been around since the 1880s and were originally taught in print format. The first correspondence course was called the School of Correspondence in Chicago and was based on business studies. During World War II, study courses were offered to soldiers as part of their training.

Distance learning saw an increase in popularity during the growth of television in the 1950s. In the 1970s and 1980s, many people in the U.S. used to watch educational programs on TV. This was a great way for students to learn at home without going to school and without paying any tuition fees.

Distance education did not see much growth until the 1990s. In the past 20 years, distance education has gone from being available through television and print-based multimedia formats to a more diverse range of formats, including video streaming, podcasts, audio lectures and handouts.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Open and Distance Learning:

The main advantages of distance learning are:

  1. It reduces the cost of education, especially in developed countries with high unemployment and high demand for a skilled workforce.
  2. It helps reduce unemployment in the education sector.
  3. It is a good choice for professional growth and personal development.
  4. It allows students to study at their own pace and work conveniently.
  5. It increases the quality of teaching since students are in close contact with their teachers by telephone or Internet connection, thus improving and broadening their learning experience.
  6. It promotes higher education in developing countries with a high illiteracy rate and a low literacy rate since it reduces the cost of access to education.
  7. It exposes people from remote areas to other cultures and ideas.
  8. It allows students to broaden their horizons and experience something new.

The disadvantages of open learning are:

  1. It forces students to pay for their education and, therefore, reduces government expenditure.
  2. It results in students having to travel long distances to attend their studies, thereby causing a physical strain on them and creating an extra financial burden since they have to pay additional costs like accommodation and food while studying.
  3. Distance learning courses are not as effective as those taught in conventional classrooms because the interaction between both is limited through the Internet.
  4. It is limited in the areas over which it covers.
  5. It can be easily copied and misused by criminals, resulting in copyright infringements and pirated courses being put on the Internet without permission from the original authors.

Status of Open and Distance Learning:

Distance learning or Open Education in India is going through a phase of tremendous growth. There are numerous open education initiatives, both in the government and private sectors. The government has initiated an open education movement by setting up the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a joint initiative of IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IIT Madras with support from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). NPTEL has made a great contribution to open education by helping to develop and promote online learning in academia and popularising the concept of open education in India.