ODFL is implemented differently in different countries and in different institutions. The different models depend mainly on the contextual factors like resource availability. As you will have seen earlier in this course, the extent to which technology is used has influenced models of distance education over time. It is also evident that countries have progressed at different rates in so far as technological development is concerned. So have their education systems, including distance education. This has given rise to two predominant models of ODFL, the offline model and the online model. In between these two broad models is a range of variant models of distance education where technology is used to varying extents.

In this unit, you will learn about offline and online distance learning models, particularly how the systems of these models differ. Through this unit, we hope you will appreciate that distance education operates as a system with various elements that work in harmony with each other.

Learning outcomes

By end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. Describe the different models of distance education;
2. Explain how systems of the different models differ; and
3. Design systems for a chosen model of distance education for your country.