In changing societies, the circumstances in which ODL operates, as well as its roles, have altered and diversified. In order to accommodate and lead the new trends in education, the philosophies, principles, and methodologies of ODL need to be reevaluated. The current practices and future perspectives of ODL, especially in the Asian region, should be also discussed for policy making in light of the regional needs.

Topic Examples:
educational and ICT policies, cultural diversity, private-public partnership, multi-culturalism and/or pluralism, knowledge-based society, aging society and life-long learning, development stage and ODL

In Asia, open universities have evolved in various national/regional contexts, establishing specific frameworks for their governance, policy and finance. However, in the midst of rapid globalization and internationalization, they now face several fundamental issues and challenges. With limited resources, open universities need efficient management and effective leadership for their sustainability and quality enhancement.

Topic Examples:
governance, finance, business model, leadership, compliance

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are some of the strongest drivers in improving ODL. The knowledge and experiences gained in the field of “technology-enhanced teaching and learning,” such as good practices in the development and implementation, as well as in the evaluation of new learning technologies, should be shared among members of the AAOU community. The design and creation of digital learning space and resources are included in this sub-theme.

Topic Examples:
e-Learning, m-learning, technologyenhanced learning (TEL), learning space, instructional design, learning design, learning management systems (LMS), social media, virtual and augmented reality, authentification methods

With the effective and efficient use of ICT, development and implementation of innovative curriculum, pedagogy and learning strategies become possible. Compared with traditional universities, open and distance universities tend to have students with more diverse backgrounds and experiences. In adopting new teaching and learning methods, more research needs to be conducted to demonstrate their effectiveness. Also included in the sub-theme are the aspects of student evaluation and assessment.

Topic Examples:
curriculum development, pedagogy, assessment methods, online testing, competency model, adaptive test, e-portfolio

In implementing learner-centered approaches and constructivist models of learning, various learner support functions, whether face-to-face or at a distance, are considered to be essential. In distance education as well as on-site education, interactivity between teachers and learners and among learners is regarded as one of the fundamental requirements for quality teaching and learning. From social learning and constructivist perspectives, interactions in a learner community should be assured.

Topic Examples:
study centers, social networking system (SNS), learner communities, learner support, learner-centered teaching and learning, interactivity

Quality has been discussed in various contexts and opportunities and is still one of the priority issues in ODL. This sub-theme focuses on quality issues at different levels: accreditation of programs and institutions, the quality assurance/enhancement of learning content and courses in addition to overall educational practices. As we begin to witness cross-border education in Asia, the international standards for such education should be discussed.

Topic Examples:
quality assurance, accreditation, recognition, quality framework, faculty and staff development, cross-border education

Although open universities are the primary organizations for providing open education in many countries, they do not seem to have made a commitment to OER movements as of yet. However, owing to international organizations such as UNESCO and OECD, some AAOU member institutions have launched pilot studies to share information and resources of their OER activities. In this sub-theme, several empirical studies and case studies will be introduced, and issues such as the meaning of “openness“ in open universities, sustainability of OER movements, and the roles of open universities in OER movements, will be discussed.

Topic Examples:
OER, Open CourseWare (OCW), open content, institutional repository, federation of repositories, metadata, open standards, federated search, harvesting, intellectual property rights, creative commons licensing

In 11 March 2011, East Japan was hit by an unprecedented series of disasters that originated in earthquakes and tsunami. On this occasion, universities and colleges in Japan recognized the importance of both risk management and robust technological and organizational infrastructure. In coping with such disasters, open universities should collaborate with other institutions domestically and internationally. In this sub-theme, case studies from Asian countries will be presented and discussed with a view to creating a new framework for international collaboration in crisis and risk management.

Topic Examples:
risk management, crisis management, robust ICT system, safety measures to protect students and staffs, supports and assistances to affected students, volunteer activities and social responsibility, development of learning materials for safety and security education