ABSTRACT
While the numbers enrolling in open universities in developing countries, particularly in Asia, are impressive, the numbers of graduates often paint a rather different picture. The universities may have an open door, but it is revolving. Perraton (2000, p. 117) observes that the contrast between enrolments and numbers of graduates is a major concern:
In both kinds of institutions it seems that many are called to enrol but few are chosen to graduate. Such evidence as we have – and there is not enough of it – is consistent across open and dual-mode universities: that successful completion rates on many courses are disturbingly low . . . [T]he general conclusion has to be that the methods of open and distance learning, held out as a promise of grand educational expansion, have failed to meet the hopes of the majority of higher education students. Acclaim for the large numbers of enrolments needs to be tempered by a concern about their results.
