Success stories and examples of best practice

This area of the ICDE website will be dedicated to articles on activities which demonstrate the successes of open and distance education as part of the organization's work to contribute to the development of new methodologies and technologies.


The Success Stories database aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practice and motivate further initiatives by providing exposure for institutions worldwide which have successfully utilized the potential of open and distance education.

Call for success stories

ICDE has launched a call for short articles demonstrating the successes of open and distance education as part of the organizations work to contribute to the development of new methodologies and technologies.

Articles are welcome which:

  • Demonstrate key achievements through the use of ODE
  • Describe how ODE was successfully embraced
  • Show how an institution has created the prerequisites for a quality flexible learning experience
  • Describe how individual learners overcame obstacles to learning

Contributors are encouraged to submit an article of no more than 500 words in length with an image no smaller than 200 x 120 pixels by email or using the Contribute function.

It is envisaged that the best examples will - with the permission of their authors - later be included in an anthology.

Second Life success

Published 06.09.11

Overview of the development process, institutional support, and the progress-to-date of the use and integration of a private Second Life virtual island into distance and online instruction by an education instructor.

Empowering women through ODL - The MCA experience

Published 28.06.11

This summary is based on the findings from a survey initiated by ICDE member institution, Mauritius College of the Air (MCA) earlier in 2011. The survey aimed to uncover demographic and socio-economic details and reasons for opting for open and distance learning at institution.

Internal campaign to ensure ODL understanding

Published 10.05.11

Strategy plan by ICDE member institution, the University of South Africa (Unisa), to ensure understanding of ODL concepts among employees.

Strategy plan to ensure students register remotely for studies

Published 10.05.11

External campaign by ICDE member institution the University of South Africa (Unisa) to ensure that students apply remotely to study at Unisa.

New avenues to education

Published 09.05.11

Combining online learning and reindeer-herding; showing how flexible education can be.

School of Webcraft

Published 09.05.11

Peer to Peer university (P2PU) ensures its students keep up to date with the newest developments through a peer to peer online learning network.

Language learning online – a success for an Indian oil engineer

Published 09.05.11

Muralidhar Sharma, an Indian oil engineer living and working in Norway, found the solution to affordable language learning that fitted round his schedule online.

Online student of the year, Martha Baade

Published 09.05.11

Martha Baade, voted 'Online student of the Year' was interviewed by Morten Flate Paulsen, NKI Nettstudier, Norway on her experience with online learning.

Online studies and kite-surfing in the Sahara

Published 09.05.11

The best of both worlds - using online learning to combine studies and travel.

Secure your dream job through your studies

Published 09.05.11

Using flexible learning to keep up to date and attractive in the labour market.

Design of an online course

Published 09.05.11

ICDE associate member, the Norwegian Association for Distance Education (NADE-NFF) spoke with Mette Reichelt, Director of ICDE member institution, the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Lillehammer University College on the process of creating an online course.

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