Providing a comprehensive examination of the nature of online higher education, this book proposes effective ways in which it can be conceptualised and designed to be more accessible and authentic for adult learners. Against the backdrop of differing historical origins, which have resulted in multiple, misaligned understandings, applications and interpretations of online and distance education, this book presents an empirical research study which uses a narrative approach to explore the lived experiences of online postgraduate students. It positions two arguments on the (in-)accessibility and (in-)authenticity of online education side by side, effectively demonstrating how they can be conflict and contradict each other. Using narrative data, the authors re-examine the concepts of distance and interaction in order to present a new understanding of the concept of openness relevant to the for-profit postgraduate distance learning sector. This book illuminates the postgraduate distance education experience and presents a set of alternative theoretically informed conceptions which the authors present as three essential pillars of online postgraduate education: openness, distance, and interaction. Carefully presented and supported using real online higher education scenarios, the book will enable higher educators, practising online education in a range of pedagogical contexts, to re-imagine their practices; further, to create more accessible and authentic learning opportunities for their learners.

This edited volume builds upon the premise that online learning is not separate from the social and material world, and is made up of embodied, socially-meaningful experiences. It is founded on a “postdigital” perspective in which, much more than interactions with keyboards, computer screens, hardware or software, the learning that happens on online postgraduate programmes spills out into professional and informal settings, making connections with what comes before and after any formally-scheduled tasks. Unlike other books relating to online education, this book combines a theoretical perspective, in which the digital, physical and social are all interconnected within complex educational ecologies, with a focus grounded in postgraduate practice. This focus has important implications for the kinds of students and learning that are explored in the chapters of the book. This book provides an important contribution to the knowledge of what is required to produce quality, online postgraduate programmes at the level of teachers, curriculum designers, faculty developers and policy-makers.

This book focuses on Indigenous participation in postgraduate education. The collaborating editors, from the contexts of Australian, Canadian and Nordic postgraduate education, have brought together voices of Indigenous postgraduate students and researchers about strategies to support postgraduate education for Indigenous students globally and to promote sustainable solution-focused and change-focused strategies to support Indigenous postgraduate students. The role of higher education institutions in meeting the needs of Indigenous students is considered by contributing scholars, including issues related to postgraduate education pedagogies, flexible learning and technologies. On a more fundamental level the book provides a valuable resource by giving voice to Indigenous postgraduate students themselves who share directly the stories of their experience, their inspirations and difficulties in undertaking postgraduate study. This component of the book gives precedence to the issues most relevant and important to students themselves for consideration by universities and researchers. Bringing the topic and the voices of Indigenous students clearly into the public domain provides a catalyst for discussion of the issues and potential strategies to assist future Indigenous postgraduate students. This book will assist higher education providers to develop understanding of how Indigenous postgraduate students and researchers negotiate research cultures and agendas that permeate higher education from the past to ensure the experience of postgraduate students is both rich in regard to data to be collected and culturally safe in approach; what connections, gaps and contradictions occur at the intersections between past models of postgraduate study and emerging theories around intercultural perspectives, including the impact of cultural and linguistic differences on Indigenous students' learning experiences; how Indigenous students’ and researchers’ personal and professional understandings, beliefs and experiences about what typifies knowledge and research or adds value to postgraduate studies are constructed, shared or challenged; and how higher education institutions manage the potential challenges and risks of developing pedagogies to ensure that they give voice and power to Indigenous postgraduate students.

Within postgraduate studies, student non-completion, attrition, and failure rates range from 29% to 65%. These unacceptably high failure rates have been attributed to wide-ranging influences. Even so, there is consensus that postgraduate supervision represents a critical enabling vehicle for student success. Reflections on postgraduate supervision and academic development in an African distance education environment offers a collection of scholarly contributions that focus on critical questions related to the practice of postgraduate supervision, from the multiple perspectives of higher education institutions, postgraduate students, and supervisors. The inclusion of contributions from educators and learners in one manuscript makes this a unique text – one that should be the mainstay of any scholar engaged in postgraduate studies. The manuscript aptly makes the case for recognising that postgraduate preparation and supervision are the most critical contributing factors to the success of postgraduate learners, and by inference, they represent a significant panacea to many of Africa’s social and economic skills.

The use of technology has a profound influence in educational settings and has experienced significant paradigm shifts with the advents of e-learning and m-learning. As an expected consequence of the evolution of e-learning and m-learning and improvements in the capability of online networked technologies, educators from the fields of distance education and open and distance learning benefit from ubiquitous learning technologies and environments. With the rising import of flexibility and personalization of online learning programs, this new learning format is needed to accommodate shifting student needs. Managing and Designing Online Courses in Ubiquitous Learning Environments is a critical scholarly resource that provides empirical and theoretical research focused on the effective construction and management of advanced online educational environments. Highlighting a variety of topics such as heutagogy, technology integration, and educational resources, this book is essential for educators, curriculum developers, higher education staff, practitioners, academicians, instructional designers, administrators, policymakers, and researchers.

In a contemporary media-rich society, distance education is becoming increasingly indistinguishable from mainstream traditional methods. Contemporary students, too, have greater need than ever before for education that caters to their specific needs and hectic schedules. Outlooks and Opportunities in Blended and Distance Learning investigates the impact of the digital age on various methods of distance education, such as e-learning, virtual learning, online learning, and m-learning. Researchers, educators, and students currently engaged in or looking to implement distance education principles in their own practices will find a seminal reference collection exploring new methods of offering flexibility, accessibility, and freedom to students with a variety of educational backgrounds, situations, and needs.

A deep-seated issue persists in postgraduate education—one that threatens the relevance of academia in our diverse and evolving world. The problem at hand is the Western-centric nature of postgraduate education, where research paradigms, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks overwhelmingly reflect a Western worldview. This rigid adherence to Western ideologies has left indigenous communities on the periphery of academic discourse, denying them the opportunity to engage with their knowledge systems and practices. Despite the richness and prevalence of indigenous knowledge, the existing educational structure remains a barrier to their inclusion. This disconnect is not only an academic concern but also a societal one, as it hinders sustainable development and stifles the voices of indigenous scholars and students. Global Perspectives on Decolonizing Postgraduate Education serves as a compelling solution to the problem at hand. It offers a comprehensive roadmap to decolonize postgraduate education, infusing it with indigenous approaches, paradigms, theories, and methods. Through critical examination and practical strategies, this book empowers academics, curriculum designers, and postgraduate students to embark on a transformative journey.

This open access handbook offers a one-stop-shop for both new and established researchers, educators, policy makers and administrators in the field of open, distance and digital education (ODDE) to gain a comprehensive overview of the history, theory and practice at all levels of ODDE, and at the same time stimulates in-depth discussions on various themes and issues of ODDE for today and future. Researchers, scholars and students in the field of ODDE can use this handbook as a major reference to conduct their own research and learning agendas. To cover the field comprehensively, the handbook is structured following the 3M framework developed by one of the chief editors Zawacki-Richter. The 3M framework categorizes the major research areas and issues in ODDE on three levels. Accordingly, the handbook is divided into six sections in total, two section at each of the three levels: 1) Macro Level – ODDE Systems and Theories, 2) Meso Level - Institutional Perspectives, Management and Organization, and 3) Micro Level – Learning and Teaching in ODDE. This is an open access book.

What are the links between theory and practice in the area of online learning in higher education? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the online approach? How can online learning be used to enhance the student experience? This book provides the first critical evaluation of theory and practice in online learning and teaching in higher education. It also provides a critique of online learning for all those working in a higher education setting. It examines the online approach in the context of the internet age and global higher education, examining changes in distance learning as well as how online learning is affecting mainstream mass higher education. Practical examples throughout the book allow the reader to: Understand quality issues with regard to online learning Design appropriate courses Create stimulating online learning environments Transform learning methods Adapt and develop strategies to enhance online teaching practice Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education is key reading for lecturers, managers and policy makers in the higher education sector.

This cutting-edge Research Handbook presents a comprehensive overview of key developments in the field of student engagement, with particular reference to equity and diversity issues. Promoting a more holistic and inclusive understanding of engagement, it highlights key empirical findings alongside practical case studies, presenting valuable recommendations for the field. This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.