ABSTRACT
The aim of this book has been to initiate dialogue on and work towards common understandings of the need for quality and quality assurance (QA) in open and distance learning (ODL) and what is entailed in the process. It has provided examples of policies, frameworks, guidelines and best practice in QA and accreditation in ODL across the globe. It has identified the challenges in ensuring quality at national, regional and international levels and in the Information Age. It has also recorded lessons learned by policymakers, managers and practitioners. It has shown that, as in all other forms of education, QA in ODL needs to be performance- or outcomes-based, concerned with systemic change and aimed at continuous improvement and achieving a culture of quality and self-accountability. It can also be shown that there are costs in not applying QA. In this final chapter, we consider these issues further.
