ODL Academic programmes in Asia pacific

Introduction
Rationale

An overall view of the Asia-Pacific region’s academic programmes in distance education is important because it reflects how well the ODL institutions are responding to the education needs of the region and the individual countries in general. It also fosters regional collaboration and avoids unnecessary duplication.

Although many programmes may not be offered internationally at the moment and most were developed to meet local needs first, ODL providers usually take the lead in the international expansion of education starting with their existing programmes. When internationalisation is high on the agenda, it helps to know what exists and what the gaps are in the current programmes.

Having a regional picture also assists national policymakers, academic administrators and educators in understanding or defining their own country’s contributions, capabilities, specialisations and gaps relative to the whole region.

Objectives

This section has been developed to:

• Present the trends in academic programmes offered by distance education in the Asia-Pacific region based on a number of selected institutions

• Provide an inventory of programmes in the region by degree, field and institution

Trends in Programmes Offered

In Asia-Pacific, the fields of study by distance education are as wide-ranging as that offered by conventional institutions. Based on a small survey by UNESCO and the websites of selected institutions, the most popular field offered across institutions, regardless of degree type, is Management and Commerce. This is closely followed by the broad field of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and by the field of Information Technology. The fields on Education as well as Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies are not as popular. Being relatively specialised fields, Medical and Health Sciences, Law, Engineering and Technologies as well as Natural and Physical Sciences are offered by very few institutions.

Almost all institutions offer non-degree, Bachelor’s degree and even Master’s degree programmes. But very few programmes leading to a Doctoral degree are observed in the region.

ODL institutions choose to develop academic programmes mainly based on national and education goals, the intended targets, the labour market demand, and the adaptability of particular fields to the distance education format.

Some institutions with a national mandate to train teachers would naturally have a strong education department or programme. Catering to the demand of the work force and the international market, some private institutions would emphasize information technology or management programmes.

Despite the demand for particular fields, some institutions may find it difficult to offer these entirely by distance education because of the special requirements for laboratories or other components which are more efficiently handled by face-to-face interaction. The challenge to come up with strategies for offering these programmes by distance format remains