What is it?

The Distance Education Network is a set of information management tools comprising part of the World Bank's Human Development Network's knowledge management system known as EducationNet.

Who is it for?

These tools are intended to serve the World Bank's client countries, public and private organizations, and individuals interested in using distance education as a means of human development.

What makes it distinctive?

Global Distance EducationNet has five distinguishing characteristics:

1. Focus on distance education
   Primarily concerned with the design and implementation of national, state or institutional systems of distance education, defined as all education in which the sole or principal means of communication between teacher(s) and learner(s) is through technology.
2. Targeted
   Explicitly targeted on the needs of developing countries and their policy makers, educational decision-makers and practitioners.
3. Both comprehensive and selective
   Global Distance EducationNet contains a carefully screened selection of readings, related databases, and reports of good practice. In the future it will also contain an open, comprehensive listing of providers of distance education services worldwide, a Global Distance Education Resource Directory.
4. Dynamic
   Suggestions from partners and contributors will be reviewed and will replace existing items when considered relevant.
5. Multi-lingual
   In addition to English, items will be provided in other languages, beginning with Spanish and French.

Partnerships

The principal source of documents on distance education is the International Centre for Distance Learning, (ICDL) headquartered at the U.K. Open University. Other sources will be Partner and associate member institutions, providing current materials as they appear in Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, Canada and Europe. Founding partners will be institutions with proven capacity and commitment to knowledge management in distance education. Institutions invited to become partners are: Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED), IUED/UNED of Cuidad Universitaria, South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE), Commonwealth of Learning, International Centre for Distance Learning (ICDL) of The Open University, Centre for Research in Distance and Adult Learning (CRIDAL) of The Open University of Hong Kong, Indonesian Distance Learning Network. Communications Development Incorporated (CDI) will provide web design and related services.

How it works

Global Distance EducationNet will scan the global environment, collect literature, case studies and other information relevant to distance education and development, make selections from this collection, and make them available via the Internet. An editorial group comprised of representatives of the Partner institutions will exercise oversight on the selection of these items. The editorial group consists of:

Dr. Michael Moore
The American Center for the Study of Distance Education
Pennsylvania State University
Consultant to the Education and Technology Team

Vigny Alverado
Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED)

Juan Ardoy Cuadros
IUED/UNED
Cuidad Universitaria s/n

Neil Butcher
South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE)

Gajaraj Dhanarajan
Commonwealth of Learning

Nick Farnes
International Centre for Distance Learning (ICDL)
The Open University

Olugbemiro Jegede
Centre for Research in Distance and Adult Learning (CRIDAL)
The Open University of Hong Kong

Arief Sadiman
Indonesian Distance Learning Network

There will be no editorial control of items listed in the Directory. This will consist of a listing of providers of distance education goods and services and any firm or individual can be listed in exchange for a small fee.