A flying visit to the School of the Air

The history of distance and open learning in Australia is replete with institutions that have led the way, raising standards and providing impetus for fellow educators. Examples include the University of New England (especially in the 1950s to the 1970s), Deakin University (the 1970s and 1980s), the University of Southern Queensland, Monash University and others. Throughout the decades since the 1950s there has, however, one constant contributor that has built a world-wide reputation for its endeavours: the School of the Air. Continue reading

British Pathé offers a glimpse of distance education history

The ‘open’ movement has produced some wonderful outcomes, and they keep coming. I don’t just mean the ever-burgeoning number of free online courses (MOOC or non-MOOC), books, and articles. There are now millions of copyright-free images available, with the recently added contribution from Getty Images as well as those downloadable from such sites as Flickr (especially via PhotoPin). Film and television programmes have joined in the fray, and that is what has prompted this post. Continue reading