• Business
  • Finance
  • Banking
  • Education
  • General
  • Law
  • Science
  • IT
  • English

Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Open University and Distance Education

Last updated on July 26, 2018 by Surbhi S

open university vs distance educationIn this fast-paced world, education plays a crucial role, as the market is very competitive. People from all walks of life can get their degrees and diplomas in various disciplines. A degree from the open university gives a great opportunity to the learners to make their career and work in a big organization. It helps the students to study, while they are on job, as it does not require students to study at a specific time.

Distance Learning, on the other hand, is a mode of delivering education, in which the source of information and the students are not physically present, as they are separated either by time or distance or even by both. The article presented to you, explains the basic points of difference between open university and distance education.

Content: Open University Vs Distance Education

  1. Comparison Chart
  2. Definition
  3. Key Differences
  4. Similarities
  5. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for ComparisonOpen UniversityDistance Education
Meaning Open University is a university which offers the policy of open admissions, distance and online learning programmes.Distance Education is a type of learning provided by various universities to students who are not present in person at the site.
TypeIt is a type of University.It is a type of education mode.
CollegesIn an open university there are no affiliated colleges and comprises of only study centers and institutes.In a distance education, the university can either be an open university or traditional university. Therefore, various colleges are affiliated to the traditional university.
PurposeOpen University was founded to impart higher education to those individuals who cannot take admissions in the traditional university.Distance Education was founded with the purpose to allow access to education to those who are unable to attend the regular colleges.

Definition of Open University

An Open University is a university which offers the policy of open admissions, distance and online learning programs. The students are provided with the study materials for various courses through the study centers and online.

Also, the students can avail the online services of a tutor who gives feedback on the assignments and projects completed online. It is a cheap way of pursuing the higher education and is very beneficial for the working class people as well as for those living in the rural areas.

Definition of Distance Education

Distance Education is a mode of learning where the students are not present in person at the site. In this, the student does not have a direct face to face contact with the teacher but can use various modes to access education, like e-learning, video conferencing, e-mail, etc.

In this mode of education, the student is not required to attend the classes regularly, and the evaluation of his research work is done through the tests conducted at regular intervals.

Key Differences Between Open University and Distance Education

  1. Open University is a university which offers open entry for admissions through distance and online learning programs. On the other hand, Distance Education is a type of learning program provided by various universities to those students who are not present at the site.
  2. The significant difference between the Open University and the Distance Education is that an open university is a type of University while the distance education is a kind of education mode.
  3. There are no colleges affiliated to an open university, whereas the distance education is provided by either an open university or a traditional university; therefore, various colleges are affiliated to the traditional university.
  4. The main purpose of an open university is to provide education to those who can’t take admissions in the traditional university, i.e. working class people or those living in the remote areas. On the other hand, the primary purpose of the distance education is to allow access to education to those who are unable to attend the regular colleges i.e. students can study at their own place and at any time.
  5. In an open university, the education is provided only in a distance learning mode, whereas the distance education can be provided by an open university or a private university or a regular university.

Similarities

  • Both of them lack face to face interaction of students with the teachers.
  • Both impart education in the same mode.
  • No compulsory attendance is required.
  • Online study material and syllabus are provided to the students.

Conclusion

Many people think that there is no difference between an open university and the distance education, but there are many areas which distinguish them. Both forms of entities are doing good work in imparting education to those students who cannot attend the regular university, due to their personal problems. It is a great way of getting higher education without losing the job and also saves the time and money along with the learner’s flexibility (time and place) of receiving the education.

Hundreds of degree and diploma courses are provided in respective fields like undergraduate, postgraduate and masters by these open universities, well equipped with learned faculties, where millions of students get the education in the distance learning mode. However, both of these systems suffers from pros and cons, but it’s all about how you take it as, either a boon or a bane.

Related Differences

  • Difference Between GDP and GNP
  • Difference Between EPF and PPF
  • Difference Between Vouching and Verification
  • Difference Between Partnership Firm and Company
  • Difference Between President and CEO

You Might Also Like:

mba vs embaDifference Between MBA and Executive MBA Degree vs DiplomaDifference Between Degree and Diploma education vs trainingDifference Between Training and Education College Vs UniversityDifference Between College and University distance vs displacementDifference Between Distance and Displacement Difference Between Open-Ended and Closed-Ended Mutual Funds

Comments

  1. Pramanshu Kumar says

    January 26, 2016 at 5:18 am

    Informative.. keep up the good work.

    Reply
  2. DR IT Group says

    November 2, 2017 at 3:54 pm

    This article will clear the doubts of the student if they need to help for choosing the distance education and open university.

    Reply
  3. j harinarayan pillai says

    December 6, 2017 at 11:47 am

    All information provided in one Roof

    Reply
  4. Droid says

    May 4, 2018 at 8:11 am

    Keep going on. Very well work.

    Reply
  5. Pushpendra says

    September 19, 2018 at 4:09 am

    Here my all problem had solved
    Thanks a lot

    Reply
  6. Dahiru N H says

    May 11, 2019 at 8:45 pm

    Very interesting lecture,I have been taught today on difference between curriculum and syllabus,also difference between open university and distance learning courses of a university. That was understood. Thank you very much

    Reply
  7. Jacob Ayine says

    February 9, 2020 at 11:17 pm

    Hello, please I want to find out the kind of certificate given by the open University,is the same as the distance education ?

    Reply
  8. Pratap kumar says

    September 7, 2020 at 9:27 am

    is open university msc degree valid always? I want to pursue msc in open univeesity for applying in teachership job, will open university certificate be valid?

    Reply
  9. Apoorv says

    September 18, 2020 at 11:35 am

    Thanks for sharing this information

    The article will clear the doubts of all the students if they need any assistance for choosing between distance education and open university.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top 5 Differences

  • Difference Between PERT and CPM
  • Difference Between Micro and Macro Economics
  • Difference Between Developed Countries and Developing Countries
  • Difference Between Management and Administration
  • Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Related Differences

  • Difference Between GDP and GNP
  • Difference Between EPF and PPF
  • Difference Between Vouching and Verification
  • Difference Between Partnership Firm and Company
  • Difference Between President and CEO



New Additions

  • Difference Between Budget Line and Budget Set
  • Difference Between Active and Passive Learning
  • Difference Between Active Listening and Passive Listening
  • Difference Between Traditional Marketing and Digital Marketing
  • Difference Between Primary Group and Secondary Group
  • Difference Between Real Flow and Money Flow
  • Difference Between Stock and Flow
  • Difference Between Single Use Plan and Standing Plan
  • Difference Between Autonomous Investment and Induced Investment
  • Difference Between Packaging and Labelling

Copyright © 2021 · Key Differences · Contact Us · About Us · Privacy