Open and Distance Non-formal Education in Developing Countries

This book is the first comprehensive account of developments in open and distance non-formal education in developing countries for over more than 20 years. It includes many instructive and inspiring examples of how international agencies such as UNESCO, FAO, WHO, UNICEF, USAID and the Commonwealth of Learning and national providers are using radio, TV, online and mobile learning, telecentres and other means to achieve the Education for All, Millennium Development and Sustainable Development Goals. 

It describes the educational needs of the world's most disadvantaged, vulnerable and least formally educated children, youth and adult populations, including the disabled, refugees and prisoners. It also reports on the successes, outcomes, constraints and shortcomings of using open and distance methods and technology to deliver literacy and numeracy programmes, equivalency, 'second chance' or alternative schooling, life skills and rural community development programmes and income generation and vocational training outside the framework of the formal education system. It concludes with suggestions for the extension and improvement of such lifelong learning. 

Designed to encourage further research and development in these capacity-building practices outside the established formal system, this is a must-read for all policy-makers, managers, educators, students and researchers interested in non-formal education for individuals, families and communities in the developing world.

Colin Latchem was formerly the Head of the Teaching Learning Group at Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, where he was responsible for academic staff development, open and distance education and educational technology support services. He is also a former National President of the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA) and an Associate Editor of the journal Distance Education. Since retiring from Curtin, he has been a visiting professor / researcher at a number of Asia and European universities, has consulted for such organisations as the Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth of Learning and AusAID and has been a keynote speaker and workshop organiser at international conferences in Australia, Asia, the Middle East, the USA and the Caribbean. His books include Leadership for 21st Century Learning (with Donald E Hanna); Distance and Blended Learning in Asia (with Insung Jung); Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and E-learning (with Insung Jung); A Quality Assurance Toolkit for Open and Distance Non-formal Education; Open and Distance Learning Quality Assurance in Commonwealth Universities; and Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET. He has also written numerous book chapters and journal articles on open and distance education and is Co-editor of the Springerbriefs in Open and Distance Education series.