Problems of research for a new open university

During the preparation of new institutes of higher education and adult education, policy makers often ask for needs research, mostly in order to forecast the number of future students. In this paper it is argued that needs research generally is not a good means for deciding whether a new institute should be or can be established: it leads to postponement of decisions and it rests on wrong assumptions about needs and on a misunderstood service orientation in education.

When a decision has been taken to establish an institute, research can help planners and programmers by collecting data about future students. Some examples are given from the activities of the Staff Bureau for Research and Evaluation of the Dutch Open University.

Consideration of the techniques and assumptions of needs research leads to a research program in which more qualitative research techniques are incorporated in counselling and outreach activities and are more oriented at specific target groups than at the general public.