Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

The 'e-revolution' that has swept the higher and further education sector over the last decade is now starting to make a real impact in school level teaching and learning around the world. There is a rapidly growing interest in, and demand for open and distance learning solutions for schools, not only in terms of improving access (for example, for the children of travellers, or for those in geographically remote areas) but also in terms of improving pedagogy for more 'conventional' teaching, by offering teachers, parents and pupils greater support and access to learning materials and resources.This ground-breaking book, with contributions from around the world including the UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and India, looks at the key areas of development in this new field, provides best practice examples and inspiring case studies and will increase the awareness of the opportunities and challenges in this potentially huge field.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

The ''e-revolution'' that has swept the higher and further education sector over the last decade is now starting to make a real impact in school level teaching and learning around the world. There is a rapidly growing interest in, and demand for open and distance learning solutions for schools, not only in terms of improving access (for example, for the children of travellers, or for those in geographically remote areas) but also in terms of improving pedagogy for more ''conventional'' teaching, by offering teachers, parents and pupils greater support and access to learning materials and resources.This ground-breaking book, with contributions from around the world including the UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and India, looks at the key areas of development in this new field, provides best practice examples and inspiring case studies and will increase the awareness of the opportunities and challenges in this potentially huge field.

The ''e-revolution'' that has swept the higher and further education sector over the last decade is now starting to make a real impact in school level teaching and learning around the world. There is a rapidly growing interest in, and demand for open and distance learning solutions for schools, not only in terms of improving access (for example, for the children of travellers, or for those in geographically remote areas) but also in terms of improving pedagogy for more ''conventional'' teaching, by offering teachers, parents and pupils greater support and access to learning materials and resources.This ground-breaking book, with contributions from around the world including the UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and India, looks at the key areas of development in this new field, provides best practice examples and inspiring case studies and will increase the awareness of the opportunities and challenges in this potentially huge field.

West of Constantinople, summer 946. Aelia, an orphan girl has a secret – she is the daughter of Saint Demetrios. When Patriarch Theophylaktos learns about Aelia''s secret, he confines her to a convent and covertly uses her as his personal holy medium. Aelia is initially overawed by the opulence of the Church leaders and the imperial family, but when the patriarch tattoos the Chi-Rho symbol onto her foot, she realises that she is just the patriarch''s possession. Although Aelia suffers rape by Prince Romanos, it is only when the patriarch tattoos her newly-born son Alexandros that she is roused into open defiance. Aelia decides to reveal her secret to her close friend Kassia, and rely on her kindness to raise him beyond the patriarch’s reach. Kassia and her husband Andreas meet the benevolent Ambassador Liudprand on the road, and he offers them a home and work in the West. Theophylaktos’s downfall begins when Aelia is kidnapped. Unable to raise the ransom and fearful of divine vengeance, Theophylaktos agrees to accept gems from his nephew, Michael, and swears an oath of loyalty. Aelia though is rescued by monks loyal to Demetrios, and the patriarch is led to believe that Aelia has been sold to Arab traders. Michael, believing he is the rightful heir to the throne, calls upon the support of Theophylaktos and forms a rebel army. Alexandros has vowed to find his mother and returns to settle in Constantinople with Kassia, Andreas. He locates the mortally wounded Theophylaktos on the battlefield and learns that Aelia may attend Saint Demetrios’ shrine on his feast day. Aelia and Alexandros are reunited at the shrine after a monk notices the tattoo on Alexandros’ foot. Kassia and Aelia establish the Refuge of Saint Demetrios in a property bequeathed by Liudprand to help young women in unfortunate circumstances.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

The 'e-revolution' that has swept the higher and further education sector over the last decade is now starting to make a real impact in school level teaching and learning around the world. There is a rapidly growing interest in, and demand for open and distance learning solutions for schools, not only in terms of improving access (for example, for the children of travellers, or for those in geographically remote areas) but also in terms of improving pedagogy for more 'conventional' teaching, by offering teachers, parents and pupils greater support and access to learning materials and resources.This ground-breaking book, with contributions from around the world including the UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and India, looks at the key areas of development in this new field, provides best practice examples and inspiring case studies and will increase the awareness of the opportunities and challenges in this potentially huge field.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.This book answers the key questions to these issues and assesses the impact and effect of the experience of basic education at a distance all over the world and in a wide variety of forms. This is the first major overview of this topic for twenty years.

The ''e-revolution'' that has swept the higher and further education sector over the last decade is now starting to make a real impact in school level teaching and learning around the world. There is a rapidly growing interest in, and demand for open and distance learning solutions for schools, not only in terms of improving access (for example, for the children of travellers, or for those in geographically remote areas) but also in terms of improving pedagogy for more ''conventional'' teaching, by offering teachers, parents and pupils greater support and access to learning materials and resources.This ground-breaking book, with contributions from around the world including the UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and India, looks at the key areas of development in this new field, provides best practice examples and inspiring case studies and will increase the awareness of the opportunities and challenges in this potentially huge field.

The ''e-revolution'' that has swept the higher and further education sector over the last decade is now starting to make a real impact in school level teaching and learning around the world. There is a rapidly growing interest in, and demand for open and distance learning solutions for schools, not only in terms of improving access (for example, for the children of travellers, or for those in geographically remote areas) but also in terms of improving pedagogy for more ''conventional'' teaching, by offering teachers, parents and pupils greater support and access to learning materials and resources.This ground-breaking book, with contributions from around the world including the UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and India, looks at the key areas of development in this new field, provides best practice examples and inspiring case studies and will increase the awareness of the opportunities and challenges in this potentially huge field.

West of Constantinople, summer 946. Aelia, an orphan girl has a secret – she is the daughter of Saint Demetrios. When Patriarch Theophylaktos learns about Aelia''s secret, he confines her to a convent and covertly uses her as his personal holy medium. Aelia is initially overawed by the opulence of the Church leaders and the imperial family, but when the patriarch tattoos the Chi-Rho symbol onto her foot, she realises that she is just the patriarch''s possession. Although Aelia suffers rape by Prince Romanos, it is only when the patriarch tattoos her newly-born son Alexandros that she is roused into open defiance. Aelia decides to reveal her secret to her close friend Kassia, and rely on her kindness to raise him beyond the patriarch’s reach. Kassia and her husband Andreas meet the benevolent Ambassador Liudprand on the road, and he offers them a home and work in the West. Theophylaktos’s downfall begins when Aelia is kidnapped. Unable to raise the ransom and fearful of divine vengeance, Theophylaktos agrees to accept gems from his nephew, Michael, and swears an oath of loyalty. Aelia though is rescued by monks loyal to Demetrios, and the patriarch is led to believe that Aelia has been sold to Arab traders. Michael, believing he is the rightful heir to the throne, calls upon the support of Theophylaktos and forms a rebel army. Alexandros has vowed to find his mother and returns to settle in Constantinople with Kassia, Andreas. He locates the mortally wounded Theophylaktos on the battlefield and learns that Aelia may attend Saint Demetrios’ shrine on his feast day. Aelia and Alexandros are reunited at the shrine after a monk notices the tattoo on Alexandros’ foot. Kassia and Aelia establish the Refuge of Saint Demetrios in a property bequeathed by Liudprand to help young women in unfortunate circumstances.