In the distance teaching institutions where e-learning initiatives are underway and where the planners and administrators grapple with effective adoption and deployment of technology-enabled education, faculty attitude and motivation assume considerable significance. Attitudinal pre-dispositions and institutional and allied barriers (including appropriate policy initiatives) are assumed to play a crucial role in making an effective shift from traditional distance education delivery to web-enabled education and training. Such issues are especially critical to single mode mega universities like the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). This article reports the findings of a study conducted to examine the attitudes of faculty members from IGNOU towards e-learning, and to identify barriers and motivators of e-learning adoption and use. IGNOU, with about 1.5 million students scattered over 32 countries, has been offering e-learning programs for almost a decade. The findings suggest that extensive use of computers and email has a high relationship with positive attitudes towards e-learning. The most significant barriers perceived by the faculty included poor internet access by students and lack of training on e-learning, followed by institutional policy on and instructional design for e-learning. The important motivators included personal interest to use technology, intellectual challenge, and sufficient provision for technology infrastructure. L'E-Learning dans une Mega Université Ouverte: les attitudes du corps enseignant, les barrières et les facteurs de motivationDans les institutions d'enseignement à distance où des initiaitves de mise en place de l'e-learning sont en cours et où les planificateurs et les administrateurs luttent pour faire adopter et lancer des formations assistées par la technologie, l'attitude et la motivation des professeurs revêtent une signification considérable. On a tendance à penser que les attitudes acquises et les barrières institutionnelles ou autres (y compris les choix de politiques appropriées) jouent un rôle crucial pour effectuer le passage d'une distribution traditionnelle de l'enseignement à distance vers un enseignement et une formation assurés grace à Internet. Ces questions ont une importance critique particulière dans les mega universités [ L t ] univoques [ G t ] comme l'Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Le présent article communique les résultats d'une enquête menée auprès des enseignants dans plusieurs facultés de l'IGNOU et portant sur leur attitude vis à vis de l'e-learning et sur les facteurs de blocage ou de motivation par rapport à l'adoption et à l'usage de l'e-learning. Cette université qui compte environ 1,5 millions d'étudiants répandus dans 32 pays, offre des programmes d'e-learning depuis près d'une décennie. A ce stade, cette enquête est primordiale et les résultats permettent de penser que « » 324 S. Panda and S. Mishra l'usage très répandu des ordinateurs et du courrier électronique a influé fortement sur les attitudes posit...

Developments in ICTs and knowledge societies have revolutionized the traditional paradigms of education. There is a lot of emphasis on a culture of sharing and collaboration in the education scenario of today though educators have certain inhibitions about sharing of knowledge, ideas and resources. The present study was undertaken to explore the sharing behaviour of the faculty of the National Open University in India. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire on knowledge sharing behaviour and barriers to sharing from 62 faculty members belonging to various disciplines. The findings suggested that sharing was less preferred voluntarily and in networks; publishing was most preferred knowledge sharing mechanism; sharing of learning materials was more encouraged in the institution; and borrowing from Internet was more preferred. The important perceived barriers included lack of recognition and absence of organizational knowledge sharing culture. The findings have been discussed in relation to related research and the existing institutional context.

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This study reports on self‐regulated learning (SRL) of Chinese distance learners by using a structured SRL scale. SRL of adult and lifelong learners is a well‐researched area, though its application within distance education is a new area of investigation. Open and distance learning lean heavily on self‐learning and self‐learning resources, though interaction at designated learning centers and online learning platforms is occasionally offered. In China, there is still persistence of the age‐old teacher‐centric model of teaching‐learning; and, within distance education offered largely by the radio and television universities, there is insistence for regular tuition classes at designated branch schools. At the backdrop of understanding and enhancing SRL of Chinese distance learners, the authors took up this research to find out the elements and levels of SRL ability among Chinese distance learners. Based on factor analysis (on 357 students for item analysis and on 600 distance learners for structural validity of the initial 117‐item scale), a standardized 54‐item Self‐regulated Learning Ability Scale was finalized and administered on a random sample of 2738 undergraduate learners (1630 males and 1108 females) from the Open Distance Education Centre of Beijing Normal University, P.R. China, doing an online course during 2009–10. The sample came from either senior high school (grade 12) or junior college (grade 14). Data on four dimensions of SRL—planning, control, regulating and evaluation—were analyzed using ‘t’ test for variables of gender, level of education and age. Results indicated that all the participants had above‐average levels of SRL in all the four dimensions of planning, control, regulating and evaluation. In so far as gender was concerned, male distance learners were better in SRL than female distance learners, especially in control (ie, content and resources) and all the evaluation dimensions. Though no age difference was found, students from junior colleges had better planning, regulating and evaluating abilities than those who came from senior high schools. These results have been discussed in the context of current changes in Chinese distance/online education and also in relation to the age‐old Chinese culture of learning. The results will also have implications for designing distance and online learning generally.

A number of polyurethanes (PUs) were synthesized by reacting castor oil with toluene‐2,4‐diisocyanate and hexamethylene diisocyanate and varying the NCO/OH ratio. All these polyurethanes were reacted with some acrylic monomers like ethyl acrylate, n‐butyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and butyl methacrylate using a crosslinker ethylene glycol dimethyl‐acrylate and benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. The physicochemical properties of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) are reported. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study the thermal behavior of IPNs and the evaluation of kinetic parameters. Degradation mechanism has also been investigated. Some of the mechanical properties viz. tensile strength, shore‐A hardness, elongation at break, etc. are also reported. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.