In this open access edited volume, international researchers of the field describe and discuss the systematic review method in its application to research in education. Alongside fundamental methodical considerations, reflections and practice examples are included and provide an introduction and overview on systematic reviews in education research.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores the similarities and differences between the ways in which they are organized and structured. It is the first book to make such comparisons and draw conclusions about the nature of open and distance education in the context of various national higher education systems. In a digital era with growing use of online education as well as open and distance education, this book is particularly useful for policy-makers and senior administrators who want to learn about organizing and expanding open and distance education provision. It is also a valuable reference for researchers, academics and students interested in understanding the different approaches to open and distance education.

In this open access edited volume, international researchers of the field describe and discuss the systematic review method in its application to research in education. Alongside fundamental methodical considerations, reflections and practice examples are included and provide an introduction and overview on systematic reviews in education research.

"Online Distance Education: Towards a Research Agenda" offers a
systematic overview of the major issues, trends, and areas of priority
in online distance education research. In each chapter, an
international expert or team of experts provides an overview of one
timely issue in online distance education, summarizing major research
on the topic, discussing theoretical insights that guide the research,
posing questions and directions for future research, and discussing the
implications for distance education practice as a whole. Intended as a
primary reference and guide for distance educators, researchers, and
policymakers, "Online Distance Education" addresses aspects of
distance education practice that have often been marginalized,
including issues of cost and economics, concerns surrounding social
justice, cultural bias, the need for faculty professional development,
and the management and growth of learner communities. At once soundly
empirical and thoughtfully reflective, yet also forward-looking and
open to new approaches to online and distance teaching, this text is a
solid resource for researchers in a rapidly expanding discipline.

Olaf Zawacki-Richter is professor of educational
technology at the University of Oldenburg, and also teaches in the
online Masters of Distance Education and E-Learning program offered
jointly by the University of Oldenburg and the University of Maryland,
University College. Terry Anderson is professor and
researcher in the Technology-Enhanced Knowledge Research Centre at
Athabasca University. His research interests focus on interaction and
social media in educational contexts. He is the editor of "The
Theory and Practice of Online Learning," 2nd ed., winner of the
2009 Charles E. Wedemeyer Award.

This open-access book is based on the observation that learning ecosystems are increasingly established in higher education institutions. However, an important aspect that is still missing is their interconnectedness. Consequently, the book intends to close this gap by introducing the concept of a distributed learning ecosystem (DLE). A DLE follows the idea of establishing an interlinkage between decentralised learning ecosystems (consisting of content repositories and educational resources) and thus serves as an integrated approach that enables learners to access and use learning content and share resources.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: China, India, Russia, Turkey, South Africa and South Korea. It describes how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of the national higher education systems in these countries. It also explores the similarities and differences between how their open and distance higher education systems are managed and structured. This book is the second in a series, following Open and Distance Education in Australia, Europe and the Americas (Springer 2018). Both books compare and draw conclusions about the nature of open and distance education in the context of various national higher education systems. In a digital era characterized by the growing use of online, open and distance education, this book will prove particularly valuable for policy-makers and senior administrators who want to learn about establishing or expanding open and distance education services. In addition, it offers a valuable reference guide for researchers, academics and students interested in understanding the different approaches to open and distance education.

This open access handbook offers a one-stop-shop for both new and established researchers, educators, policy makers and administrators in the field of open, distance and digital education (ODDE) to gain a comprehensive overview of the history, theory and practice at all levels of ODDE, and at the same time stimulates in-depth discussions on various themes and issues of ODDE for today and future. Researchers, scholars and students in the field of ODDE can use this handbook as a major reference to conduct their own research and learning agendas. To cover the field comprehensively, the handbook is structured following the 3M framework developed by one of the chief editors Zawacki-Richter. The 3M framework categorizes the major research areas and issues in ODDE on three levels. Accordingly, the handbook is divided into six sections in total, two section at each of the three levels: 1) Macro Level - ODDE Systems and Theories, 2) Meso Level - Institutional Perspectives, Management and Organization, and 3) Micro Level - Learning and Teaching in ODDE.This is an open access book.