Significant trends in ODL research, as reflected in Progressio

Abstract

The recent accreditation of Progressio: South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice brings to the fore the importance of research in the field of open and distance learning (ODL) in South Africa. As distance education has continued to evolve from correspondence teaching to distance education to ODL, research has also evolved. But has ODL on the southern tip of Africa kept abreast of international developments? Were the nature of ODL, the use of technologies, academic productivity, staff development and student matters reflected in the research published in the journal since it first appeared in 1979? From our research findings and the present edition it is clear that Progressio has done all this, and more.