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Austin Rover adopted open learning as a result of fundamental and massive changes in technology, productivity and its product range. With the help of the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) open learning centres at each of Austin Rover's main manufacturing sites have been established. Each centre has work stations (comprising a computer, disk drives, printers and monitors) study benches, a video resource, an audio resource, a reference library and an administrator. The use of the computer is encouraged as a training aid to deliver, manage or test the learning process and the trainee. The cost‐effectiveness of open learning, the development of courseware and the available resources are examined. The selection of employees for courses and the staff involved are discussed. The company sees open learning as an additional method of training to those already at the disposal of trainers.

Defines “open learning” and related terms, especially “flexible learning”. These terms focus on the provision of choice to individuals, over various aspects of the learning process. Describes critical stages in the evolution of open learning, including the Open University, National Extension College, collaborative developments with further and adult education colleges, the Open Tech Programme and the Training Agency′s flexible learning project in schools. Reviews progress in applying open learning: much has been achieved in extending learner autonomy, through the development of packages, associated support systems, and information technology. The national vocational qualifications framework requires the deployment of open approaches to learning delivery. Finally, surveys current challenges to the education and training systems and outlines responses to these, based on the achievements of open learning.

This article identifies a central paradox in “open learning” – that in a commercial context its “openness”, seen from instrumental and prescriptive perspectives, will be restricted. The authors suggest that the effective implementation of open learning in work organisations requires the kind of planning, co‐ordination and structure which so reduces learner empowerment that “differentiated training” becomes a more appropriate term. The authors consider the practical implications of their findings.

This study takes as its theoretical basis the models of Murray and Stern, Getzels and Thelen which hold that institutional characteristics interact in schools and determine student learning. Data obtained through observation, interview and completion of the Learning Climate Inventory (LCI) are provided by 867 teachers in 30 elementary and secondary schools. Analysis of the data revealed inter alia that (i) learning environments with 20–85 percent open instructional space contained 25–50 percent more instructional modes, student grouping patterns, team teaching and controlled student movement in the classrooms; (ii) teachers in learning environments with at least 20 percent open instructional space viewed the learning climate as significantly more open on four of five LCI factors; (iii) learning climate is generally more open in schools where student achievement is classed as high; (iv) the larger the school the more closed the learning climate tended to be; (v) teachers in schools with more frequent human relations programs perceived greater freedom to teach.

Open Courseware, in many ways, was the starting point towards mainstream discussion and adoption of open learning, particularly in higher education. In its first iteration, the concept specifically excluded assessment recognition, and credentialisation, which aims to ‘liberate’ knowledge without shattering the designing, teaching and awarding processes traditional education has relied upon for decades, if not centuries.

With the continuous development of the global COVID-19 epidemic, mobile learning has become one of the most significant learning approaches. The mobile learning resource is the basis of mobile learning; it may directly affect the effectiveness of mobile learning. However, the current learning resources cannot meet users' needs. This study aims to analyze the influencing factors of accepting open data as learning resources among users.

Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), this study proposed a comprehensive theoretical research model. Data were obtained from 398 postgraduates from several universities in central China. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the reliability and validity of the measurement model. Data has been analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software.

The results suggested that perceived usefulness, performance expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions have a positive influence on accepting open data as learning resources. Perceived ease of use was not found significant. Moreover, it was further shown in the study that behavioural intention significantly influenced the acceptance of open data as learning resources.

There is a lack of research on open data as learning resources in developing countries, especially in China. This study addresses the gap and helps us understand the acceptance of open data as learning resources in higher education. This study also pays attention to postgraduates' choice of learning resources, which has been little noticed before. Additionally, this study offers opportunities for further studies on the continuous usage of open data in higher education.

This research attempts to reveal ways of addressing challenges in open universities related to empowering lifelong learning; establishing policies and strategies in dropouts, student portfolio and support services for students with special needs; and implementing online instructional design and strategies. Two institutions were investigated, namely National Open University (NOU) Taiwan and Universitas Terbuka (UT) Indonesia, both founded in the 1980s to serve lifelong learners with diverse backgrounds and needs. This study was aimed at understanding good practices and challenges for improvement for the two open universities in those areas being investigated.

This research was qualitative using document analysis along with focus group discussions and interviews with administrators, academic staff, students and alumni to collect data for analysis.

Lifelong learning is the necessity of individual in societies for continuing professional development through enabling access to quality university education. Open universities have been tasked to cater for lifelong learners using non-traditional approaches, new technology and adapting to online learning and teaching in digital age. This research was exploratory, and the findings were expected to improve understanding of lifelong learning in open universities, particularly in NOU and UT.

Findings of this research are relevant to open universities to enhance its missions and define its possible new roles to serve lifelong learners.

This research reveals the roles of open universities in lifelong learning and enhances understanding of open universities that have a wide range of responsibilities in offering programs and courses to accommodate lifelong learners.

British Aerospace (MAD) has launched Open Learning Centres on three of its sites with a fourth to open shortly. Considers the various mechanisms being used to assess overall effectiveness and identifies three strands of the process: measurement, monitoring and evaluation. Concludes with the contention that tensions can exist, when launching an Open Learning Centre, between creating the learning organization and meeting the business need.

The purpose of this paper is to reveal how support services for open and distance students are designed, developed and implemented to ensure successful learning to take place, with specific references to the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and Universitas Terbuka (UT) Indonesia. Success in distance learning is one major challenge for open universities to respond to expectations of students and stakeholders. This study focuses on the strategies of student support services in OUSL and UT, investigating related factors including instructional design and development, learning engagement and motivation, policy and strategy in reducing dropouts, use of OER/MOOCs, and quality assurance.

A qualitative study was employed involving analyses of documents; interviews and focus group discussion with senior administrators, academic staff, students; and on-site observation in locations of teaching and learning.

This research is exploratory in nature. Findings of the study are expected to improve our understanding of student support in distance learning, in which analysis is based on good practices, challenges and rooms for improvement of both OUSL and UT.

Findings of this study reveal practices and lessons learnt that may be useful as reference to open universities, taking into considerations the fact that each open university has been established to address specific challenges in its own unique circumstances.

This research may be adopted as baseline framework for analysis of student support for open universities. Further in-depth study is needed to understand how various aspects of student support contribute to success in open and distance learning.

Surveys and evaluates the existing literature on open and distance learning, with particular emphasis on the management development field. Aspects of open learning terminology are clarified by reference to previous literature and by a diagrammatic synthesis of the different terms and concepts. Explores and summarizes in diagrammatic format the relationship of open learning and management development. A discussion of the existing models and frameworks supports the findings that there is a gap in the literature between what is happening in the market and what is represented in the literature. Argues in conclusion that there is a need for a market‐driven multiple stakeholders model of open learning in management development which would help to explain the interactions of the various different and competing actors. Such a model would help to explain the questions over the future direction of open learning in management development and would go some way to explaining more fully the phenomenon of open learning which is still not fully understood because of its continually developing nature.