New media mania: Can information and communication technologies enhance the quality of open and distance learning?

Many educational institutions are attempting to use new technologies to solve their problems of increasing student numbers (possibly in a variety of geographical locations) and limited resources (human and financial). Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are merely means to an end, but decisions about their use are infrequently based upon an educational analysis of teaching and learning problems or needs. The rationale for using ICTs in teaching or learning should focus on the educational purposes they can serve. Some media technologies are primarily for one‐way communication; they extend the possibilities for delivering pre‐prepared educational materials to learners. Others are essentially two‐way and offer the potential for intellectual interaction between humans. ICTs can only enhance the quality of open and distance learning when they contribute to the full range of educational experiences available to learners.