Open and Distance Learning in Higher Education in Egypt: An Evaluation of the Degree Programmes of the Centre of Open Learning in Cairo University (COLCU)

Abstract

This thesis is related to the expansion of open and distance learning (ODL) programmes in Egypt. The expansion in Egypt mirrors similar changes in many developing countries. The adoption of ODL in higher education has had several purposes, however, in Egypt, the most important has been to expand access to higher education in order to allow those students who, for whatever reasons, have been prevented access to conventional higher education. To date, there has been no evaluation of these ODL programmes in Egypt. Moreover, data collected from one of the most important ODL systems in Egypt, The Centre of Open Learning-Cairo University (COLCU), shows that the majority of the students enrolled in these programmes do not graduate, suggesting that an evaluation of these programmes is overdue.