Virtual Universities: Current Models and Future Trends

The first section of this article examines the current models of "virtual universities" that provide various forms of distance education. Distance teaching at university level is offered, nowadays, through at least five major organizational models: single-mode distance teaching universities, dual- and mixed-mode universities, extension services, consortia-type ventures, and new technology-based universities. The article analyzes the merits of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of each of these five models, as well as the problems associated with their implementation. The second section discusses future trends in the development of distance education in higher education systems and touches upon five domains: potential student constituencies, new roles for the academic faculty, new forms of knowledge generation and delivery, the restructuring of the organizational infrastructures of universities, and the impact of globalization on higher education markets. The conclusion highlights some of the major difficulties in the processes of implementing the new ICTs into various higher education systems and offers a few suggestions as to how to proceed in tackling major problems.     

The agendas of distance teaching universities: Moving from the margins to the center stage of higher education

Full-fledged distance teaching universities (DTUS), that have been established since the early 1970s in various parts of the world, were perceived by many of their conventional counterparts as unique institutions, assigned with special tasks outside the realm of mainstream higher education. The major thrust of this paper is to examine from a comparative perspective to what extent have the agendas of the DTUs in the last two decades moved from the margins to the center stage of higher education, in relation to: reaching out to diverse student clienteles; professional upgrading; flexible curricula and academic programs; focusing on teaching; harnessing advanced technology to the service of higher education; managing large-scale universities; designing extensive support systems; and globalization and collaboration in higher education. DTUs can be viewed from many respects as forerunners in facing and dealing with challenges that confront higher education systems all around the globe. Nowadays, the boundaries between distance and campus universities are in a continuous process of blurring and convergence, and it is likely that the future interrelations between them will be marked both by a growing competition and a growing cooperation.