OZ 2009/4

M 133 ORGANIZACIJA ZNANJA 2009, LETN. 14, ZV. 4 Sir John Daniel Commonwealth of Learning Kontaktni naslov: jdaniel @ col.org Abstract One of the current trends in higher education is the rapid growth of distance education. Until recently distance learners could not access the rich documentary resources available to campus students, a factor thought to undermine the quality of distance education. However, the Internet has changed that. The paper examines how distance teaching universities make library resources available and how their students use them. There will be a particular focus on the challenge of serving distance learners in developing countries since that is where much of the growth of distance education will be. Keywords distance education, UK Open University, Open Education Resources Izvleček Eden od sedanjih trendov v visokem šolstvu je hiter razvoj izobraževanja na daljavo. Do pred kratkim učenci v izobraževanju na daljavo niso imeli možnosti dostopa do bogatega dokumentarnega gradiva, ki je na voljo rednim študentom. To je eden od dejavnikov, ki naj bi negativno vplival na kakovost izobraževanja na daljavo. Vendar se je z internetom to spremenilo. V prispevku proučujemo, kako univerze, ki poučujejo na daljavo, zagotavljajo dostopnost knjižničnih virov in kakšne načine uporabe omogočajo svojim študentom. Posebno pozornost namenjamo izzivu, kako zadovoljiti potrebe učencev na daljavo v deželah v razvoju, v katerih se bo izobraževanje na daljavo najhitreje širilo. /najbolj razširilo. Ključne besede izobraževanje na daljavo, UK Open University, odprti izobraževalni viri RESPONDING TO THE LIBRARY NEEDS OF DISTANCE LEARNERS INTRODUCTION It is a pleasure to be here and to make my first visit to Slovenia. I express special thanks to my former UNESCO colleague, Stamenka Uvalić-Trumbić, for suggesting my name. One of the major trends in higher education is the development of distance education, both within countries and across borders. My own organisation, the Commonwealth of Learning, specialises in advising governments and institutions on distance learning in particular and use of technology in education in general. Although we are funded by Commonwealth governments and only work directly in Commonwealth countries, the information, advice and materials that we generate has a global reach and is freely available worldwide. We work closely with organisations that share our goals, such as UNESCO. I am delighted to be here with you to address the topic: Responding to the Library Needs of Distance Learners. This is a most appropriate forum to address this theme. I am most impressed by what I have learned about COBISS and congratulate you on the infrastructure that you are setting up. Because it is a trans-national integrated computer-supported library information system, COBISS is extremely relevant to my remarks today, and is just the sort of system that helps distance learners and students on campus to have equivalent access to library services. My plan is to begin by putting distance learning in context before moving on to the specific issue of library services. Distance learning at university level is not new, but it has expanded and diversified so much in recent years that it is easy to be confused about its essential nature. I shall make the distinction between institutions that operate exclusively through distance teaching – often called open universities – and what we call in the jargon