Open Praxis (Jan 2007)
Widening Access to Higher Education: Open and Distance Learning in Higher Education Setting in Indonesia
Abstract
The advancement of ICT offers effective and efficient learning support at all levels of education and in all fields of knowledge, especially in open and distance learning. One manifestation of this trend is the application of ICT in appropriate combination with traditional face-to-face classroom based teaching and learning to improve access to quality education, as well as to provide practical support for learning about the digital tools of today’s society. Another manifestation is the accelerating development of ICT-based open and distance learning with the emergence of virtual learning in all parts of the world.This paper is going to look at the picture of open and distance learning initiatives in higher education in Indonesia, and the influence of information and communication technologies in those initiatives. Some distance learning will be explored, and present results of such initiatives will be illustrated. Some concerns and further considerations on the development of ICT-based ODL in Indonesia will also be discussed. It is expected that such illustration will provide a clear picture of development of ICT-based ODL as an effort to widen access to quality education in Indonesia.
